Rise of the Grey Widowmaker
by Lucilenta
Summary: A breed almost extinct, three Admirals decide to bring a Grey Widowmaker back into the Aerial Corps. But who will make the attempt to harness it? And what can a single dragon possibly accomplish? Read in order to find out.
1. A Vital Meeting

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used by me.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so any comments and/ore constructive criticism are welcome. Thank you to those who take the time to do so. Each new chapter will be longer than the one before it.

Characters involved in this chapter are: Captain Bewley of Bright Copper Piperis, Admiral Merton, Admiral Norden, and Adirmal Litcott

**Chapter 1: A Vital Meeting**

Captain Bewley stepped into the conference room to be met by the gaze of three Admirals. The Captain was not sure for the reason of this impromptu meeting. The summons had been relayed to him by one of his runners in the middle dinner and he'd had to leave it unfinished. The man was a little resentful, but still, he was a seasoned Captain and knew better than to question orders. Bewley stopped his woolgathering and snapped off a smart salute, then stood on ceremony, waiting for the Admirals to make their intentions clear to him.

Admiral Merton was the first to speak. He gestured for Captain Bewley to take a seat, "Captain Bewley. Pray do make yourself comfortable. We have much to discuss." He told the man, and then gave the other Admirals a prompt look.

Admiral Norden decided to get straight to the point, "Our apologies for interrupting your dinner Captain. However, we have done so with due cause. As you well know, our forces have been spread rather thin as of late. We need every dragon available. A Grey Widowmaker egg was recently discovered in one of the breeding grounds. The breed has a bad reputation and there has not been one in the Corps in over 50 years. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. We have been asking a few individuals, but so far nobody has proven willing to try to harness the creature." He explained with a grim expression.

Litcott piped in to explain the situation further. He tugged at his long white moustache before beginning, "That is why you were called in Captain Bewley. We wish to learn your opinion of Midwingman Obson. He has been serving with you and your Bright Copper Piperis for over three years now. We have reviewed his service record and he has served aboard a Yellow Reaper and a Chequered Nettle previously. He is well-liked among your crew from what I understand, and from your reports, he has been calm and steady under fire. He might be just the fellow we need to make the attempt of harnessing the Grey Widowmaker." The Admiral suggested, studying Captain Bewley's expression.

Captain Bewley took a seat and folded his arms in his lap. His eyebrows hiked up once he heard what the Admirals were proposing. His lips pressed into a thin frown and he smoothed back his chestnut brown hair, "I have nothing but praise for Midwingman Obson. He is an integral part of my crew and Piperis would be loathe to part with him. I must say, I have my doubts about this. Midwingman Obson is a good man, and I do not wish to see him harmed by some untameable beast. No offense to you Gentleman of course, but unless ordered, I feel I must decline your request." He trailed off, uncertain how to continue without offending the Admirals.

Admiral Norden fixed Bewley with a baleful look and then shook his head, "No, we shall not order this Captain Bewley. I must admit, your objection is disappointing. The truth is; we are running out of people to ask. The beast is badly needed, since we already lost three dragons in the last skirmish over the channel. So I shall make one last attempt to appeal to your good sense Captain. I can understand why you do not wish to risk your Midwingman, but he is already at risk every time he goes into battle. Pray, think on this and discuss it with Mr. Obson himself when the time is appropriate. But please do not delay long Captain, as Surgeon Hutche estimates the egg shall hatch in three days." He explained.

Admiral Merton cleared his throat and jumped in, "If it would put your mind at ease Captain, we plan to use the utmost caution during the hatching. We shall station one gunmen nearby; to provide protection should the beast prove a danger. If it merely refuses to go into harness, it will be sent to the breeding grounds. But if it attempts to harm anyone, we will have no choice but to destroy it." He told the Captain.

Captain Bewley put both hands up in a gesture of capitulation, "Very well, I shall discuss this with Midwingman Obson and find out if he wishes to make the attempt. I would not begrudge the Midwingman at a chance for his own beast after all. However, that is all I am willing to promise. If he should refuse, I will not press him further."

Admiral Litcott looked appeased at the Captain's answer and gave a brisk nod, "That is a damned sight better than a flat out refusal. We won't ask more than that. Should the fellow refuse, the issue shall be dropped." He announced.

Norden nodded in agreement with Litcott, "Indeed, we cannot ask for more. Thank you for your time Captain Bewley. We will look forward to hearing of the results of your discussion with Mr. Obson. Pray excuse us now; we have important issues to discuss." He told Bewley.

Bewley had been in the Corps long enough to know a dismissal when he heard one. He issued a low bow and then took himself out of the room. His mind churned with the thoughts that he had dared not voice to the Admirals. Had they gone mad? Bewley had heard the stories of the Grey Widowmakers. They were deadly and uncontrollable, and that was why they had been hunted to near extinction. And the Admirals had picked the middle of a war of all times to try to bring the breed back into the Corps. Then again, it was only one, but it stood to reason that if the first proved successful, then more would be brought in. He shook his head and hoped that the Midwingman would have the good sense to refuse. But first things first; he had a dinner to finish.


	2. Taking A Chance

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used by me.

**Chapter 2: Taking a Chance**

Midwingman Obson was in the mess hall bright and early for breakfast. He had already taken his customary spot near the end of one of the long tables, where the rest of Piperis's crew tended to gather. He sipped calmly at his mug of strong coffee, knowing that it was going to be another long day of hard work. He wasn't really taking part in the conversation going on around him, mostly because the coffee had not yet revived him entirely. The entire week had been rather brutal with several skirmishes over the channel. Midwingman Obson had been on board Piperis for each of them, and had paid for it with several bruises and sore muscles. Still, considering the dangers he faced each day, he was just lucky to be alive. Obson decided he'd like to get a copy of the paper for news of how the war progressed in other areas, but before he could get up, he was distracted by the loud voice of Lieutenant Mauntell.

"Gentlemen, did any of you hear of this? I was talking to 2nd Lieutenant Danvers, who serves aboard the Chequered Nettle Aestas. He told me that he had been optioned by the Admirals, to try the harnessing of a Grey Widowmaker a few days ago. I never heard of the like. He refused of course; he wasn't mad enough to accept such a bald-faced request. Who in their right mind would agree to such a thing? Only someone with a death wish if you ask me." The Lieutenant announced, eager to share the latest gossip.

Midwingman Everdon eagerly jumped in on the conversation, "Pray tell, Lieutenant Mauntell; are you sure that he was telling the truth? I truly doubt the Admirals have time for such nonsense. I think this is all a great yarn to keep our minds off the more morbid aspects of this war." He interjected.

Midwingman Obson was intrigued by the news that Lieutenant Mauntell had brought them, but he privately agreed with Midwingman Everdon. He had his doubts that there was any truth to the story. He'd served aboard three dragons in his lifetime, and never once had he seen a Grey Widowmaker. All the dragons he had served with were friendly enough, save for when they were engaged in battle. Not to say that Grey Widowmakers didn't exist, but they were very rare now. After a moment of consideration, he voiced his own opinion, "I agree with Midwingman Everdon. I cannot see any reason why they would bring a Grey Widowmaker into the Corps. It is not as though they are heavy-weight beasts, and the breed lacks any special abilities." He informed them, and was surprised to be met with a pall of silence. Midwingman Obson wondered if he'd done anything wrong, but he soon saw the reason for the silence. Captain Bewley was approaching their table with a grim expression on his face. Obson half-pushed himself up out of his chair and several others of the crew followed suit. There was indeed a chance that they were being called into battle.

Captain Bewley saw several of his crewmen getting to their feet and he held his hand up in a gesture to forestall them, "Be at ease Gentleman. We have not yet been called into service this morning. Pray, stay here and enjoy your breakfast. You shall all need it today, be sure of that." He told them. The Captain then took a deep breath and fixed his gaze directly upon Midwingman Obson, "Midwingman Obson, a word with you in my office, if you please." He requested, though the stern tone of his voice indicated that it was really an order. Without another word, he turned and headed out of the mess hall and into the twisting corridors that would eventually lead to his office. Captain Bewley didn't look behind him, since he fully expected Midwingman Obson to follow.

Obson turned a lovely pale shade at the order, and moments later he became aware of the scraping of chairs as the crew settled back into their seats. He dared to glance up, and he saw several of the men were looking at him with speculation and curiosity. Obson finished shoving the chair away and got to his feet; then followed after Captain Bewley in complete silence. He covertly looked at Captain Bewley's expression in an attempt to ascertain if he was in any sort of trouble. The grim expression that he saw fixed there nearly gave him pause. He hadn't seen the Captain look that grim since they'd lost five crew members in battle.

Captain Bewley arrived in front of the door of his office and opened it to reveal the circular room inside. The room wasn't very spacious, but it didn't need to be. He had a mid-sized oak desk that was cluttered with stacks of papers. Behind the desk he had an equally sturdy oak chair that was padded with burgundy cushions. The two chairs in front of the desk were of similar design, but they lacked the arms and the bulk of Captain Bewley's chair. A large painting of Piperis was hung on the wall behind the desk, but the room was devoid of any other decorations. Captain Bewley made all haste to the chair behind his desk, and sat down to await Obson's arrival.

Midwingman Obson had fallen behind Captain Bewley, but not by far. He arrived at the office only a few seconds after the Captain. Having seen the urgency in the Captain's stride, Obson didn't wait to be invited inside. He stepped just inside the door a cleared his throat, "Forgive me for sounding forward Sir, but may I ask what all this is about?" He inquired. During his walk down the maze of corridors, he had gone over his conduct for the past week. Midwingman Obson couldn't think of anything that might have gotten him in deep trouble. Still, it was better to find out now, rather than later.

Captain Bewley tried to smile reassuringly at Midwingman Obson, but the expression was rather strained. He gave a brisk nod towards one of the chairs, indicating to Obson to take a seat. His fingers tapped out a rhythm on his desk for a few seconds, and then he finally spoke, "I shall not keep you in suspense any longer Midwingman Obson. During supper the day before, I was called in to speak to three Admirals. It was made clear to me that they desired you to make an attempt at harnessing a Grey Widowmaker. They had optioned several officers senior to you, and all of them refused. I am not sure why it is that you were selected. You have a good service record Mr. Obson, perhaps a little too good. There are many who have served longer to be true, but most accumulate at least some complaints over the years. There have been none for you, and it was enough to distinguish you in the eyes of the Admirals. That may be the reason, though I suspect they merely thought you gullible enough to do as requested." He informed the Midwingman, and then fell silent to allow him time to digest the news.

Obson widened his eyes in shock and simply stared at the Captain in disbelief. He waited for the inevitable laughter, figuring the Captain must be pulling his leg and playing off the earlier rumors. When the Captain remained as serious as ever, Obson began to understand that this wasn't some sort of sick joke. That meant the rumors had been true then, and there really was a Grey Widowmaker egg. To think that the Admirals would select him for it, of all people, it was nearly incomprehensible. Midwingman didn't think that he was that important in the Corps, and suspected that Captain Bewley was right for the latter part. He remained silent for a moment, and then replied to the Captain, "I must say Sir, I am not sure what to make of all this. I certainly never expected something like this to happen. As for the Grey Widowmaker, I know little of the breed, but I have heard a few horror stories of their kind. I shall definitely need some time to think on this Sir." He informed him.

Captain Bewley gave a nod of understanding and then sighed, "I understand, however, I cannot give you long. The egg is due to hatch in a few days, and the Admirals are anxious for a decision. I told the Admirals that should you refuse, I would not push the issue further. They agreed to my proposal, so you need not worry. There is no shame in refusing, especially since several senior officers have already done so. In fact, I will need your decision by the end of the day." He announced, hoping that Obson would refuse right away so that he could be done with the issue.

Obson realized that he had very little time to make a very big decision. He gave a sigh of his own and sank down into a chair before answering, "I will do my best to have a decision to you by the end of the day. But if you are willing to oblige, I do have a few questions. For one, are things really so bad that they must attempt to press a Grey Widowmaker into service? And if they are, why do they just not order someone to try to harness the beast? Surely that would make more sense." He remarked, and then waited to hear what the Captain had to say to that.

Bewley wasn't surprised that the Midwingman had questions. He would have too, were he in the Midwingman's current predicament. He crossed his arms and did the best to reply to them, "I am afraid they are, or the Admirals wouldn't have gone this far with the idea. We really do need every beast we can get. The frogs are luring in ferals to fight for them, and we'll be vastly outnumbered if something isn't done. It isn't as if a single Grey Widowmaker would make a huge difference, but every dragon that joins the Corps is one more step towards increasing our own forces. The Admirals are open to ideas that never would have been considered previously, and this is one of them. As to your second concern, they are well within their rights to order someone to make the attempt. However, if they had chosen to do so, it would be a blow to their reputation. Ordering a man to their death for a good cause during a war is one thing, but to order a man to try to harness a breed so intractable and dangerous is another. There is a high chance that the beast could go feral, or even attack the person attempting to harness them on sight." He explained to the Midwingman.

Obson listened to the Captain carefully and found that he still had yet more questions, "Thank you Captain Bewley, that explains much. I am glad that I am not being ordered to do so at any rate. Still, I will not be hasty with a decision such as this. Could you please explain the consequences, should I choose to accept? Or if I should choose to decline?" He asked, both curious and concerned.

Bewley could see that Obson was struggling with the decision and wanted to give it due consideration. The only thing he could do was be as frank in his answers as possible. He leaned back in his chair and answered, "Well, if you accept, they will want you to stay in close proximity to the roman baths. You see, after I finished my supper, I went hunting down one of the Admirals and made some further inquiries about the issue. I found out that the egg was transported here two days ago via the belly netting of a Yellow Reaper. However, the Admirals plan to have the egg moved out into the courtyard once it shows signs of hatching. They don't want a mad Grey Widowmaker tearing around the roman baths and posing a threat to the other eggs there. You would of course, be removed from duty with Piperis and I, and from then on your only concern would be the egg. You would be expected to complete the same harnessing ceremony with the Grey Widowmaker, as you would any other hatchling. There would also be gunmen present at the hatching, to make sure the hatchling does not make an attempt on your life. Now, if you do accept to make the attempt and fail to do so, you would have used up your chance to try for a beast, and you would not be able to try for another for many years. Even if you managed to harness the beast, I imagine others would give you a hard time about it, simply because the breed is not very trustworthy.

Obson continued to give Captain Bewley's words his full attention. He was surprised at the news that he wouldn't have to leave Loch Laggan if he decided to make the attempt. He knew Captain Bewley had served in the Corps his whole life, and the picture the man gave him was clear. He had much to lose if he accepted, and little to gain. But would not a beast such as a Grey Widowmaker be reward enough? If they were indeed as fierce as their reputation, one would make a fine addition to the Corps. Fighting spirit was a trait highly valued in dragons, and from the sounds of it, a Grey Widowmaker had that in spades. He had his doubts to be sure, but he had served aboard several dragons and longed for one of his own. He considered Bright Copper Piperis a friend, but he would never have the sort of bond with him that his Captain did. Briefly he considered discussing the issue amongst his crewmates, but he already knew what they thought of the idea. His thoughts continued to swirl around in a jumble, and he was no closer to an answer than before. Obson had run out of questions and looked up at the Captain, "I thank you Sir, for your consideration and your considerable knowledge. I wish I could give you an answer right now, but I am find I am at an impasse. May I be dismissed Sir, so that I may reflect upon this further?" He requested.

Captain Bewley nodded and waved a hand in dismissal, "Very well Mr. Obson, you are excused. Whatever decision you make, I know it will be the right one. I will be here writing reports all day, unless Piperis and I are sent out over the channel. So if you have any further questions at any point, feel free to stop by." He told the Midwingman fondly.

Midwingman Obson nodded and lifted himself out of the chair. He then gave a short bow to the Captain, "I appreciate everything you have done for me Sir. I will not make this decision lightly. And I will be here with my decision as soon as possible." He promised. With that said, he whirled and made a quick exit out the door. From that moment on, the decision weighed heavily upon Midwingman Obson. He had to consider the benefits and the drawbacks, both for himself and the Corps in general. He was solemn throughout lunch with the rest of the crew, and they left him alone, figuring that he'd been punished by the Captain for something and didn't want to talk to them about it. The afternoon itself seemed to drag on and he was still wavering back and forth. There was one fact that kept echoing over and over in his mind. The beast was badly needed, and in a way, he needed a dragon of his own. His thoughts continued along that line and he came to a final decision just before supper.

Captain Bewley was conscious of the passage of time too. He hadn't seen a glimpse of the Midwingman all day, but then again, most of that time had been spent in the office. He was just about to leave for dinner when he met Midwingman Obson at the door. He quickly ushered the young man inside and asked bluntly, "I take it you have made your decision?"

Midwingman Obson stepped into the office and nodded, "Yes Sir. Forgive me if I seem too ambitious Sir, but I would like to make the attempt. I would be remiss in my duty if I did not try, and I do not wish to disappoint the Admirals. Those are hardly my only reasons for choosing such a risky path. I respect you and Piperis Sir, but I wish for a dragon of my own. I truly believe that the Grey Widowmaker may be an asset to the Corps, should it be willing to take a harness. I would like to try to make that happen."

Captain Bewley eyed Midwingman Obson speculatively and gave a hearty laugh, "Good on you Mr. Obson. As of this moment, you are no longer in my service. I wish you best of luck with harnessing the Grey Widowmaker. I think I understand now why the Admirals chose you. It was not because of any gullibility on your part, but rather your willingness to rise to a challenge. I shall inform the Admirals at once." He announced, and then left the office with a long-legged stride. The decision was made at last, and for better or for worse, Mr. Obson's life was going to change drastically.


	3. Chaotic Events

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.

**Chapter 3: Chaotic Events**

Mr. Obson was no longer a Midwingman, at least not for the time being. Obson was no longer in Captain Bewley's service, and his only responsibility was the egg. So very much depended upon his success or failure in the harnessing of the Grey Widowmaker. At least he was still in Captain Bewley's good graces, though he heard through the grapevine that Piperis was rather sulky about his leaving. In fact, Mr. Obson hadn't been allowed to give his farewells to the Bright Copper. The Admirals feared that Piperis might influence him to change his mind about the whole thing. Obson knew the truth of the matter, which was that there was no turning back now. He had already given his word, and if he went back on that, he would be considered a scrub. At least he had been allowed to leave the egg to go have lunch, which is what he was doing at the moment. More precisely, he was sitting in front of a full plate and contemplating his choice. Two days had passed since he had delivered his decision to the Captain. In those two days, he had made frequent visits to the roman baths, and to the Grey Widowmaker egg in particular. The egg was indeed hardened and ready to hatch at any time, but of course dragon eggs didn't always hatch on schedule. Obson was just glad he didn't have to spend all his time in the roman baths, because they were too hot for him and he'd drive himself insane with the waiting. His life seemed to be on hold until the egg hatched.

Cadet Dinley burst through the mess hall door with an appearance that was rather frightful. His bottle green uniform was stained with blood, and the young Cadet's eyes were glossy with unshed tears. He immediately yelled out, "Longwing Nequitia's formation has returned from a battle over the channel. They were ambushed and there's a lot of injured, both dragons and people. The Surgeons need anyone with a steady hand to go out there and help." He called. He then darted back out the door, presumably to assist the injured now that his message had been delivered.

There was the sound of shouting, and soon enough several men followed the Cadet out the door. Mr. Obson shoved his chair away and followed after them immediately. He didn't know how much help he would be, but it was definitely better than sitting around doing nothing. When he stepped out into the courtyard, it was sheer chaos. In his immediate vicinity was a Yellow Reaper with four large slash marks that trailed from the left shoulder, to across the side, and then thinned out along the haunch. The gashes bled freely with blood that was nearly black, and several of the dragon's crew were valiantly trying to staunch the bleeding with bandages and padding. Several feet away from the Yellow Reaper was a Grey Copper. The grey and green dragon was writhing in pain and was covered in so much blood that Mr. Obson couldn't even make out the wounds. There were six more dragons of various breeds in the courtyard, though his vision of them was obscured by the Yellow Reaper. He could hear the cries of wounded men as well, but they were already being aided by other Aviators of various ranks. Obson was at a loss for where to start, but then a Surgeon near the Yellow Reaper beckoned him over.

Surgeon Carlyle was a competent man, and had taken control of the situation with the Yellow Reaper as soon as he'd arrived on the scene. The Surgeon had learned that the injured dragon's name was Lautus, a relatively young dragon of just three years. The dragon's Captain had been lucky to escape with only some scrapes, bruises, and a rather shallow laceration to the forehead. Carlyle had ordered the Captain to talk to his beast and try to keep him calm, while he recruited more hands to help staunch the bleeding. He didn't have nearly as many people helping as he would have liked. Many of Lautus's crew members were injured and had been carted away to the infirmary. There were people coming out to help, but many of them had gone to aid the heavy weights. Once he spotted Mr. Obson standing idle, he quickly waved him in. He didn't hesitate to issue orders, "Quickly, take the roll of bandages as soon as Cadet Leeds arrives with them. Then climb up the harness and spread the bandages across the middle of that bottom slash. Make sure you put as much pressure as you can on the bandages once in place and hold it steady until I say otherwise." He informed the man. He then scrambled up onto the harness himself to be begin the task of stitching up the first gouge at the top.

Mr. Obson swivelled his head and looked for the Cadet, knowing that the Surgeon must have sent him on the errand. It wasn't hard to see the flash of white bandages from the approaching Cadet, and he snatched them away with only the briefest nod of thanks. This wasn't the first time he'd been in a situation like this, especially since he'd served aboard a Yellow Reaper before. He climbed up the harness with expert ease, not having to go up far. Obson neatly unrolled the bandages and pressed them to the wound. It didn't take long for a large red-black stain to seep across the fresh bandages. Obson pressed down on the material, but he knew that his weight alone would not provide enough pressure to staunch the bleeding. It was just his luck Cadet Leeds saw the problem and climbed up to join him. Obson didn't know how long the both of them were there, doing their best to put pressure on the bandage while the Surgeon worked his way down towards them. Time seemed to pass slowly, and he was acutely aware that blood had seeped through the bandages and coated his hands. The Yellow Reaper's sides gave a shudder and nearly dislodged Obson and the Cadet from the harness. He dimly noticed another Surgeon approaching them, perhaps having finished aiding a different dragon.

Surgeon Hutche hurried his way into the Courtyard, though his reason was not to aid the other Surgeons with their patients. No, he was looking for one man and one man only. It took a few minutes to sort out the scene, but Hutche had very sharp eyes. He was able to pick out Mr. Obson aboard the harness of a Yellow Reaper. He headed towards him at a brisk pace and then called up, "Mr. Obson, you must come with me at once. The Grey Widowmaker egg is about to hatch. You are needed immediately."

Obson was surprised and swore softly under his breath. He'd been waiting for the egg to hatch, but it seemed to have picked the worst possible time. Why did the blasted egg have to pick the middle of a crisis to hatch? He hesitated and then glanced askance at Surgeon Carlyle. The Surgeon waved him away, muttering something about being ready to stitch the final wound anyway. With his duty clear, Obson scrambled down the harness and landed on his feet rather heavily. His hands were nearly black and flecks of blood were all over his clothes. Still, he could tell from the urgency in Surgeon Hutche's voice that there was no time to waste. The news of the hatching gave him a fresh surge of adrenaline and he was able to keep up with the brisk pace of the Surgeon. He was lead back inside through a series of winding corridors, and eventually he found himself outside at the start of a winding dirt path. The path lead down a hill towards a large barn that was a gaudy red-brown with chipped paint. Obson recognized the building immediately and understood the change in plans. The egg couldn't be brought to the courtyard because of the chaos there, so they had brought it to the barn that was primarily used for Winchester hatchings. Obson took a quick few seconds to try to wipe his hands clear of blood in the grass, and then he hurried after the Surgeon.

Hutche lead the way as fast as he could, anxious to make sure that the egg hadn't hatched already. He was the only Surgeon not working in the courtyard or infirmary, since he was assigned to look after the welfare of the eggs above all else. He'd been forced to leave the egg alone, save for the Rifleman that had been assigned to stand guard. As he approached the barn, he slowed down to take note of the two people standing outside. One was Rifleman Rigel and the other was...Admiral Litcott? Hutche blinked in surprise and bowed to the Admiral, "I apologize for leaving my post Sir, but I needed to fetch Mr. Obson. As you are likely aware, the Grey Widowmaker egg is hatching." He explained, pondering if the Admiral would take him to task.

Admiral Litcott waved aside the excuse, "Yes, I am aware of the situation. You couldn't very well order Rifleman Rigel to leave his post, when he was ordered to it by an Admiral there in the first place. The other Admirals have the situation in the courtyard under control and the Surgeons will soon have every injured man and beast swathed in bandages and sorted out. I am only here to observe the hatching of the Grey Widowmaker; to see if it truly is viable to bring the breed back into the Corps. So far I have only seen some hairline cracks in the shell and it has been rocking on occasion."

Obson arrived at the entrance of the barn, and was just as surprised as Hutche had been to see the Admiral. He executed a bow of his own, though the anxious expression on his face told of his eagerness to see to the egg. The young man had also arrived in time to catch the tail end of the Admiral's explanation for his presence. Obson opened his mouth to make a formal greeting, but the Admiral cut him off with a raised hand and gestured for him to go inside. Obson did as he was ordered and stepped into the barn, all too aware of three pairs of eyes at his back. All else was forgotten the moment he laid his eyes on the egg. The mottled grey shell was beginning to split as cracks widened across the surface. Obson settled himself in a crouch barely three feet away from the egg and kept a close vigil, while his heart pounded a rhythm that seemed to loud to his ears.

A distinct hissing sound came from inside the egg, and then it began to rock back and forth rapidly. Several cracks spread across the surface of the egg like a spider web, and then some of the shell began to flake away. One of the cracks widened when a claw poked through it, followed by a loud tearing sound. The force of the hatchling lunging from within the egg caused the already splintered shell to shatter apart. Flecks of egg shell went flying in several directions, and Mr. Obson ended up generously covered in them. The creature that emerged from the wreckage of the egg was no bigger than medium-sized hound. The body of the hatchling was long and limber, with a rather angular chest and narrow wings. The base coloration was a smooth shade of smoke grey. Dark patches of slate grey were scattered across various parts of the body, with the most numerous patches to be found on the wings. The head of the Grey Widowmaker was wedge-shaped and his eyes were a striking azure blue with slitted pupils. At the back of his head were a series of short spikes that lent him a somewhat more sinister appearance than the Greyling. In addition to that, the hatchling also had a series of spikes that ran from the neck to the end of his long whip-like tail. The dragon's legs were of medium length and each foot sported a set of four slate grey talons.

Surgeon Hutche took a deep breath and glanced over to the Admiral, "Sir, there you have a prime Grey Widowmaker. Actually, he's a bit bigger than most light weight hatchlings are. His conformation is splendid, and if Mr. Obson can convince the hatchling to go into harness, we will have gained another fighting beast for the Corps."

Admiral Litcott had been gazing at the hatchling, but quickly turned a stern gaze on the Surgeon, "Pray be silent Surgeon Hutche. I can see that much with my own eyes. We cannot afford to distract the beast from Mr. Obson. Silence is what is needed now." He reprimanded Hutche, and then turned away to make his point clear.

The Grey Widowmaker looked up sharply at the sound of voices, and his tongue flitted in and out between his half-open maw. He issued a deep growl from his throat and mantled his wings, while his tail lashed back and forth in agitation. With a clear warning having been given, the hatchling then took his time looking at his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to notice the close proximity of Mr. Obson, and he fell into a crouch, clearly getting ready to pounce upon the human that had dared to get too close to him.

Mr. Obson wiped shards of egg shell and droplets of goo off of his face. It didn't take him long to do, but the distraction did cost him. When he looked up, he found himself uncomfortably close to the hatchling. Despite the size of the young Grey Widowmaker, Obson knew that it could do some serious damage to him. He remained perfectly still and forced himself to look down and avoid the hatchling's gaze. Obson was too stunned at the moment to feel much fear. Rather, his heart was heavy with disappointment because the dragon hadn't spoken and was clearly feral. He had failed before he'd even begun and now it was going to cost him everything, perhaps even his life. Obson could only hope that the Grey Widowmaker wouldn't see him as a threat if he remained still. The harder part was remaining calm, because he knew how predators worked. One sign of fear, and he might be relegated from 'intruder' to 'prey'. Most dragons wouldn't eat humans, but some ferals would and could if they were desperate enough.

Admiral Litcott saw the way the hatchling acted and rested his forehead against one hand. He gave a gusty sigh of disappointment and then regained his composure. He turned and snapped an order at Hutche, "Pray, take the bucket of meat that was prepared for the hatchling and pitch it in. It should distract it and give us time to remove Mr. Obson to safety."

Hutche grabbed the bucket that had been resting up against the open barn door. The bucket was full of chunks of meat from a freshly slaughtered cow. He unceremoniously heaved the bucket and its contents into the barn. The bucket hit the ground inside the barn and rolled, spilling out meat over the hay-coated floor. The sickly sweet smell of blood filled the air, and Hutche smiled grimly in satisfaction. He'd never known any newly-hatched dragon to refuse fresh meat covered in blood.

The Grey Widowmaker lowered his mantled wings once it became clear to him that the human closest to him wasn't a threat. However, movement from beyond the door put him back on alert. Another loud hiss was issued and his still-soft claws dug into the barn floor. From the corner of one eye he saw something splatter in his direction, and he threw up his wings instinctively to shield himself. That didn't last long once he smelled the scent of blood. His nostrils flared and then he honed in on the meat, tearing into the chunks of cow flesh with obvious pleasure. He didn't so much eat the meat as inhale it, and he probably would have choked if it hadn't already been cut down to size.

Obson knew that the wise decision would be to make a dash for the door, but he doubted that the hatchling would continue to ignore him if he did. The entire day seemed to have turned into a disaster. He saw that the others were trying to distract the hatchling with the meat, and he was grateful for their aid. He slowly but steadily moved towards the door of the barn, encouraged by the fact that the Grey Widowmaker was ignoring him in favor of food. He only dared to breathe once he was safely standing in from of Admiral Litcott. Once there, Mr. Obson hung his head in shame and muttered, "I'm sorry Sir, I failed both your and the Corps. I just wish I knew what went wrong."

The Admiral glanced from the Grey Widowmaker to Obson and shook his head, "This wasn't your fault. The idea was a mistake to begin with. Clearly there was a reason why the breed was not suitable for the Corps. At least we might still lure the creature to the breeding grounds, where he might be of use once he is older. We knew there was a risk of this happening going in, and it was unfair to pressure you to take a chance on it. I'll do all I can to see to it that you are restored to your position as Midwingman. Mind you, you probably won't be able to serve aboard Piperis again, but perhaps I'll be able to get you aboard one of the more common breeds." He informed Obson and then paused for a moment.

Litcott then gestured for the others to follow him, "Come along now, and let us leave the feral to his meal. We need not worry about him flying off. Once he is done eating, he will no doubt fall asleep. We will close the barn door behind him and leave it to another Aviator and his beast to lure the Grey Widowmaker to the breeding grounds later on." He announced. With that said, the Admiral started on his way up the hill.

Hutche nodded in agreement with the Admiral and then gave Obson an encouraging look, "That is quite true. Dragons are unpredictable at the best of times, and we still have no way of determining whether a hatchling will choose to go into harness or not. I've witnessed several hatchings, and in all that time, I haven't seen any solid pattern." He informed Mr. Obson, and then waited him to get out of the way so the barn door could be closed. Rifleman Rigel had already moved off to the side. Rigel had remained silent the entire time, since he had not been called upon to speak.

Obson gave Admiral Litcott a grateful look, "Thank you Admiral, that is most generous of you, and you as well Surgeon Hutche. I apologize that things did not turn out better." He remarked, still feeling rather dismal. Every instinct in him told him to go back, to talk to the Grey Widowmaker and try to convince it to speak to him. However, the Admiral had obviously decided it was too risky with the Grey Widowmaker having proven to be so aggressive. It would be sheer madness to try, not to mention against orders to do so. At last Obson gave in and turned to trudge after the Admiral and the Surgeon, all the while dragging his heels in the dirt with every step. Maybe there was something that the dragon found lacking, or perhaps he was just over-thinking matters. He forced himself not to look behind, knowing that he would only be filled with more regret and doubt if he did. He at least hadn't lost his career, but that hardly seemed to matter anymore. Obson began to think that he might be worse than a scrub. He had gone off to try to try to harness a Grey Widowmaker, and had offended several of his crewmates by putting his own needs first. Now they probably thought him little more than an ambitious fool. And what of the Grey Widowmaker? He was no doubt going to be sent to the breeding grounds one way for another. The dragon would live a sedentary life, and a rather isolated one. It all seemed so unfair and there was simply nothing he could do to change it. Obson was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that Surgeon Hutche had stopped until he nearly ran into him.

Surgeon Hutche had indeed stopped, and was staring at a rather curious sight. The Grey Widowmaker had finished feeding and had followed them out before the barn door could be closed by Rifleman Rigel. Specifically, the beast had fallen into an easy pace behind Mr. Obson. The Grey Widowmaker had moved with surprising silence, but then again, he wasn't that big. Surgeon Hutche cleared his throat to get Mr. Obson's attention, "Mr. Obson, I would suggest you turn around very slowly and look behind you."

The Grey Widowmaker found it easy to keep pace with the human, who was horribly slow anyway. He kept his wings furled at his sides so that they weren't in the way. When the Surgeon noticed him and announced his presence, he just sat back on his haunches and gazed at Obson with an unreadable expression. At last he gave a low hiss and spoke in a voice that was a light tenor, "After all that, are you just going to run away?" He asked, projecting as much disappointment in his voice as he could. If anyone had bothered to look in his azure eyes at that moment, they might have seen a gleam of amusement in them.

Obson didn't do quite as Surgeon Hutche had suggested. He whirled around quickly, and found himself in close proximity to the Grey Widowmaker hatchling once more. Not only that...but the hatchling had spoken to him! Obson's brown eyes lit with joy, though he tried not to get his hopes too high. It was hard not to do, especially since the dragon was finally talking to humans. His black mood was lifted all at once, though he wasn't quite sure how to answer the hatchling. He took a few seconds to consider and then settled with being direct, "I apologize, but from the way you were acting, we didn't think you wanted anything to do with people. I would not have left, if there had been any sign otherwise." He replied, and then introduced himself, "My name is Chad Obson. Would you like me to give you a name?" He inquired tentatively.

The hatchling licked at his bloody jaws and then tilted his head, looking at the young man with an expression of consideration. His wings rustled against his sides before he answered, "To be blunt, I wasn't sure if I did. I am well aware of the whole naming and harnessing ceremony. It was the only thing that jabbering Yellow Reaper talked about when he was transporting my egg. Well that, and stories of battles." He told Obson and then paused to look up at the man, "I'll tell you what. If you get me more food and promise that we will see many glorious battles together, then you may give me a name now and put me in harness." He announced, with a turn to the corners of his mouth that looked suspiciously like a smile.

Obson blinked several times in surprise, hardly believing his own ears. He certainly hadn't expected the hatchling to follow him out of the barn and make such requests. He'd thought the matter was over and done with. Once again, everything had gone and changed in the matter of a few minutes. He couldn't help but to be amazed by this turn of events. Obson took a deep breath to find his voice and nodded, "I am sure I can arrange to have more food brought to you. And if you agree to go into harness, then we will indeed see many battles when you are older and bigger. As for a name, how about Saevio? It means rage in Latin. Or if you prefer, Venator, which means hunter." He suggested.

There was a slow intake of breath as the hatchling considered the two choices. He rubbed the side of his claw against his jaw and then thumped his tail in finality, "I think the former one would do me just fine. Saevio suits quite nicely." He told Obson, and then gave a plaintive rumble, "Now that it has been settled, could you get me more food? I am still so very hungry. That bucket of meat wasn't quite enough I think." The dragon muttered. His azure blue eyes lifted in an attempt to meet Obson's brown ones, "I am glad it is you that will be my Captain. You think of more than just yourself, which is more than I had expected. That, and the fact that you don't fear me."

Obson grinned in satisfaction when the Grey Widowmaker accepted the first of the two names. He rather liked it himself, and it was a name that seemed appropriate for such an aggressive Grey Widowmaker. Realizing the situation he was now in, he turned his attention to the Surgeon, "Sir, if it isn't too much trouble, could you please arrange to have a couple Cadets bring Saevio more meat?" He asked politely. He then turned his full attention back to Saevio, "Saevio, I'll make sure you get fed as much as you need. I'm glad you chose me too, and now I feel like one lucky bugger. Pray come with me back to the barn, and I'll get that harness on you while we wait for more food to be brought to you." He suggested, and then carefully reached out to place one hand on the curve of the dragon's neck. He realized that Saevio was right and he didn't fear him. For all Saevio's fierce appearance and mature speech, he was still just a hatchling. He suspected that much of Saevio's apparent aggressiveness had just been bluster. It's not that he doubted that the dragon was aggressive, but that aggressiveness would only truly come out during battles. He and Saevio would probably see many of those in the future.

Surgeon Hutche blinked in surprise and then nodded briskly, "Yes, of course. I will do so soon. However, I must fetch the Admiral first. I believe he has gone on ahead of us and missed the whole thing." He informed them, and then jogged up the hill in pursuit of the Admiral.

Saevio allowed himself to be lead back towards the barn. He was being surprisingly tractable, but he simply didn't want to cause trouble for his Captain. For a while he simply walked with his Captain in companionable silence. The dragon fully believed that Obson would always look after his best interests. Once they reached the barn, he couldn't help but to hiss at Rifleman Rigel as he passed. He suspected the reason for the human's presence, and he didn't like the smell of fear on him. Frankly, he didn't like the smell of him period. Saevio eventually reached the interior of the barn and remained standing, eyeing the pegs on the wall that held up the harness. Saevio scratched at the ground impatiently, "All right, you may put the harness on me now. Though I don't really think it necessary. If I had wanted to leave, I would have left long ago." The dragon grumbled in a recalcitrant tone.

Obson could understand the dragon's impatience to get it over with. Dragon harnesses were rather complex and took some time to hook up. He gave Saevio a reassuring look, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to get it on as fast as possible. And it is necessary, since you'll be wearing one most of your life. I don't think it'll be too bad once you get used to it." He told him. Obson then retrieved the harness from the pegs and began the processing of fitting the harness onto Saevio. Despite his best efforts, it still took a considerable amount of time. He was about half-way through buckling some of the straps when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He glanced towards the door to see Admiral Litcott, Surgeon Hutche, and two Cadets with buckets of steaming meat. Obviously Surgeon Hutche had accomplished everything he'd intended.

Admiral Litcott smiled upon seeing the hatchling and Obson together. The hatchling didn't look quite as aggressive as before, especially since he was half-harnessed. He approached the pair at a slow but confident pace and then looked directly at Obson, "Congratulations are in order for the pair of you. Surgeon Hutche here told me that you named the beast Saevio. A fine name for such a handsome creature. Mr. Obson, I will now confirm your rank as Captain of Grey Widowmaker Saevio. Now, I expect you both to report to the Training Master tomorrow. Dragons tend to learn fastest when fresh from the shell. Welcome to the Corps Saevio, you are the first Grey Widowmaker to be part of it in over 50 years. I am confident that you'll both do well. I'll take my leave now, and let you both get settled." He informed them, and left the way he had come. Truly, things had worked out better than anyone had expected. The Admiral had no doubt that they would do very well for themselves in the future.


	4. A Few New Faces

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.

Author's Note: Thank you all for being so patient in waiting for the next chapter. Also, thank you again for those wonderful reviews. I really appreciate it. Well this is it for this week, but I will have Chapter 5 for sure next week. In fact, I'm going to see if I can get two chapters done. So until then, feel free to read on and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Comments/criticisms are always welcome.

**Chapter 4: A Few New Faces**

Captain Obson woke up in the barn the next day, only to find that he was covered in straw. The steady sound of a dragonet snoring next to him had grown too loud to ignore. He opened his blurry eyes to see the dark grey form of Saevio curled up in the straw beside him. Obson blinked rapidly and then the events of the previous day came rushing back to him. Obson really had managed to harness the Grey Widowmaker, and it wasn't just some crazy dream. Thinking back, he remembered that the dragonet had eaten a couple more buckets of meat and had promptly fallen asleep. Obson had been told it was unwise to leave the dragonet's side, so he'd ended up having to sleep in the barn. It hadn't been an uncomfortable night, and Obson had actually slept heavier than usual. With a soft sigh, Chad got up and began to dust the straw off his clothes. A cloying sickly sweet smell seemed to be drifting in from outside the barn. Obson shuffled to the door, and that was when he saw the two pails of freshly butchered meat. He concluded that they must have been put there recently, since his dragonet hadn't yet woken at the smell of them. A few feet away were a couple of large trays, and he moved closer to get a better look at them. The first tray had a fresh change of clothes folded neatly upon it. The other smaller tray had two turkey sandwiches and small mug of coffee on it. Also, there was a note attached to the second tray. Obson picked up the note and peered at it closely.

_Have breakfast and clean up, and make sure your beast eats too. Once finished, both of you are to report to the training courtyard. Signed, Admiral Litcott_

Obson had his orders and was glad to follow them, knowing the orders were just a reminder of the ones given the night before. He quickly wolfed down his sandwiches, hoping to get them finished before Saevio woke up. Obson knew first-hand how ravenous a dragonet could be, and that few of them would discriminate with any form of food. It wasn't long before he finished eating and downed his coffee in great hurried gulps. The caffeine did a great deal to revive him, and Obson became grateful for the Admiral's thoughtfulness. Feeling sufficiently energized, Obson set to work by bringing the pails of meat inside and closing the barn door behind him. He set them down and wiped his hands on his already dirty uniform, and then set about changing into the clothing that had been provided. The new uniform proved to be a little different than his old one. Obson didn't take long to realize that it was a Captain's uniform. A slow smile of satisfaction spread across his face and he took a little time to fuss over his new appearance. The neckcloth was tugged into place a moment before he whirled around in surprise at the sound of a clatter. He breathed a little easier once he saw that it was just Saevio. The dragonet had woken up and knocked over one of the buckets of meat. He smiled a greeting and inclined his head, "Good morning Saevio. Are you well?"

Saevio did not answer his Captain right away. He was far too involved in gulping chunks of meat down his throat at fast as possible. His muzzle soon became stained with blood, and he managed to splash some down his chest as well. He finished the spilled contents of the first bucket and paused only long enough to answer Obson, "I am well, except that my belly hurts so very much. The meat is helping though." He informed him, and his belly rumbled soon after. The Grey Widowmaker then started in on the second bucket of meat without hesitation. Saevio found he was still hungry by the time he finished all the meat in the second bucket. So he pushed his muzzle into the pail further and tried to lick out the blood at the bottom. When Saevio tried to lift his muzzle out, he found that he couldn't. The bucket was stuck fast and didn't seem like it was going to come off. Saevio rumbled in surprise and scraped the bucket along the wall of the barn in an attempt to get it off.

Chad Obson had never seen such a sight before and it was hard for him to suppress his laughter. It's not that he didn't sympathize with the dragonet, but the Grey Widowmaker did look ridiculous dragging around the bucket with his muzzle. He could only imagine what the Training Master might think if he saw that. He called out to the dragonet quickly, "Just stay still. I'll come over and help pry it off." He informed Saevio in a tone overlaid with mirth and amusement.

The Grey Widowmaker gave a huff of indignation and glared at Obson, "I do not need your help!" He retorted, though his reply was rather muffled by the bucket. He did not want his Captain to believe that he was entirely dependent on him. Of course, he realized now that dragging the bucket up against the wall was useless. Saevio chose to remain still as he considered his options. At last he lowered his head and then tried to hook his front talons over the edges of the bucket. Sadly, his claws were too large to fit into the airtight spot between the edge of the pail and his muzzle. Saevio's impatience gave way to fury and he shook his head violently from side to side. There was tell-tale hiss of escaping air, and then the bucket went sailing across the barn and hit the far wall. He then shot a triumphant look at his Captain and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

Captain Obson shook his head, both at Saevio's wilful refusal and the way in which he had finally removed the bucket. A look of disdain was then given to the dragonet's bloody muzzle, "I suppose you didn't. Now, are you really going to see the Training Master looking like that? You would give a poor impression indeed. Now, clean up and we shall be on our way. We are going to be late if we don't hurry." He told the dragonet a little stiffly. As amusing as the incident had been, he didn't think it wise to keep the training master waiting.

Saevio snorted at Obson's response and then obliquely ran a talon down the side of his muzzle. It came away with flakes of drying blood, and he understood then what his Captain had meant. Saevio then set to work cleaning his muzzle and talons by licking them, much in the same manner as a cat would. He took his time doing it though, not caring that they might be late. Saevio didn't warn Obson about what he had planned next though. He simply whirled around and charged the unlatched barn door. The door was knocked open and Saevio soon stood beneath a cloudy sky. It was at that moment that Saevio experienced the overpowering urge to fly. He hadn't done so the day before, and now it was if the sky called to him. The Grey Widowmaker instinctually flared his wings and was about to take off when a sharp call caught his attention.

"Saevio Stop!" Captain Obson yelled out, and then ran as fast as he could to catch up to the Grey Widowmaker. He couldn't believe he had forgotten all about a dragonet's impulse to fly, or that he'd been careless enough to leave the barn door unlatched. He was red in the face by the time he reached Saevio's side. Obson reached out to grab a hold of one of the harness straps, hoping that would be enough incentive for Saevio to stay on the ground. The dragonet had grown overnight, but not so much that he could lift Obson's weight.

Saevio gave his Captain an incredulous look and was curiously silent for several seconds. His ridged tail lashed in agitation and his expression soon changed to a mixture of resentment and confusion. A rumble of protest burst from his throat and he was sorely tempted to try to fly despite Obson's hold on his harness. The dragonet's voice was deeper than usual when he replied, "And why should I? I only wish to fly around for a little bit. I promise I will return, if that is what you are worried about."

A soft sigh was Obson's only response at first. He found it hard to deny Saevio anything, and the dragonet was only a day out of the shell. He had to remind himself that Saevio was still very young and would need some things explained. Saevio certainly didn't have any sense of discipline yet. He took a deep breath and then did his best to expand Saevio's knowledge, "The reason is that we have to follow our orders. We are supposed to report to the training master today. That can't be done if you go flying off to God knows where. I'll explain it to you in more detail later. Now, let us make a deal; come with me now to meet with the training master and I'll ask him if you can go flying today. I can't promise you that he'll say yes. If he doesn't, then I'll make sure you get an extra pail of meat tonight." He informed the dragonet, knowing that it was one promise he could make good on.

Saevio lifted his head up to look Chad Obson in the eyes, "But why must I follow orders? And can the training master not wait until I have gone flying?" He asked pointedly and tilted his head to the side. Before Obson could even answer, Saevio huffed and remarked, "Nevermind, your deal does sound rather enticing and I shall hold you to it. I expect you to explain _everything _later today. Now let us go meet this oh so important training master of yours, if you would be so kind as to lead the way." He told his Captain in an imperious tone.

Obson allowed a small smile to grace his lips, as though he had just won some private victory. He couldn't help but to find the current situation rather amusing. From the way Saevio talked, it would be awfully hard for those observing to tell who was in charge. He loosened his grip on the harness and hoped he could trust in Saevio to abide by his own words. It was nothing less than a miracle that Saevio was willing to listen to him and heed orders in the first place. Obson doubted the dragonet would ever be as obedient as a Yellow Reaper, but that was all for the better in his opinion. Obson cleared his throat and then met the young dragonet's gaze, "I will keep my word and answer any questions you have later, you can be assured of that. Now, here are a few things that you need to know. The training master we have now is one that replaced a dragon that retired recently. I have been told the new training master is a Parnassian, but beyond that I know very little about him. I would appreciate it if you would be on your best behavior. I want us both to make a good impression. You see, when I was just a squeaker, I made the mistake of angering one of my Instructors and I ended up regretting it the rest of the year." He informed Saevio with a grimace at the rather unpleasant memory. He shook his head as if to clear the memory and then started up the path that lead to the training courtyard. Obson then paused and looked back to Saevio expectantly, "The training master is in charge of both of us, not just me." He corrected and then continued on, "Now, let us walk there quickly and I believe we will make it in time." He ordered the dragonet and then set out at a brisk walk.

Saevio was as patient as a young dragonet could be, but in the end he couldn't stand it anymore. He darted forward and kept pace alongside his Captain. There was a moment of silence and then he replied, "Oh stuff! You sound as though you are an old man. If you spent half as much time walking as talking, we would be there already." He pointed out in an exasperated tone. With his rebuke having been delivered, the Grey Widowmaker bounded up the path at a pace that his Captain could never hope to match.

Saevio hadn't really known where he was going, but it had been easy to conclude that the training courtyard was probably at the end of the path. The dragonet was just lucky enough that his theory proved to be correct. Soon enough, he found himself gazing across a wide expanse of ground that made up the training courtyard. It appeared to be occupied by a few other dragonets, their Captains, and a huddled group of younger humans. The Grey Widowmaker darted forward, eager to meet with other dragons for the first time outside his shell. He wasn't too worried about his Captain and figured Obson would catch up with him later. As he entered into the courtyard, a collective number of gasps distracted him enough that he slowed to a stop. Saevio turned his head and saw several Cadets staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and fascination. While this might have made another dragon show off; it had the opposite effect with Saevio. The Grey Widowmaker did not like to be gawked at like he was some sort of oddity. He stared right back at the humans and then writhed back his lips to reveal his needle-like teeth. He added a low hiss to punctuate the effect and scraped at the ground with his claws. To his satisfaction, he saw some of the Cadets blanche and back away hastily. The fear-scent struck his nostrils and drove him into a more elaborate threat display. He flared his wings to their full extent and then attempted to roar. It came out more like a strangled growl, but it was enough to send most Cadets scrambling away to whatever duties they were supposed to be doing. Saevio gave a soft huff of satisfaction and then pulled his wings tightly against his sides.

Alcedonia opened one lurid orange-yellow eye and gave a rumble of protest. She was a Yellow Reaper that was only a few weeks older than the Grey Widowmaker, but she was at least twice his size. Her scales were a bright shade of buttercup yellow, and she had several pale white vertical striations all over her body. Alcedonia saw that the Grey Widowmaker was a newcomer and she gave a hiss of distaste, "Pray keep it down. Some of us are trying to get some sleep before the training master arrives. He will work us hard all day and there will be no time to rest then." She informed him in a scolding tone.

Saevio turned towards the Yellow Reaper and eyed her speculatively. He then shook out his wings and rumbled, "I shall do as I please. I do not have to listen to you. You are not the Training Master, or anyone very important." He retorted, feeling rather insulted that she would dare try to order him around.

Alcedonia blinked in surprise at the Grey Widowmaker's words. If a dragon could roll their eyes, she would have at that moment. Instead she settled for a gusty sigh, "I see I am not going to get any sleep with you around here. Then again, I suppose I cannot expect any sort of courtesy from a Grey Widowmaker. You are what humans would call an uncouth barbarian." She retorted with a barbed insult.

Saevio bristled at her reply and scraped his claws across the ground, "I do not know what barbarians are, but I know I am not one. If you want to sleep, then sleep like the lazy bag of bones that you are." He replied in a hostile tone, having repeated an insult he'd overheard on his way along the path.

Alcedonia snorted in annoyance and merely replied, "You are right, I take back my remark. You are not a Barbarian. You are like that bull I had for my breakfast, all aggression and no brains." She informed the dragonet in a smug tone.

Obson arrived on the scene just in time to hear the two bellowing voices of the two dragonets. The Yellow Reaper's voice carried further, but that was only because she was larger than Saevio. Obson was breathing heavily from jogging up the path, but he didn't dare let the conflict go on for one moment longer. He raced across the courtyard, hoping to get there before some disaster happened. The last thing he needed was Saevio antagonizing the dragonets that he would likely end up working with later in life. In his rush, Obson nearly ran into another Captain that was headed towards the Yellow Reaper. Chad didn't stop until he was huffing and out of breath at Saevio's side. He took a minute to catch his breath and then looked down at Saevio with a stern expression, "That will be quite enough out of you. Did I not ask you to be on your best behavior? And that is the best you can do?" He managed to get out, all the while hating having to upbraid Saevio.

Saevio was about to deliver a sharp retort to Alcedonia, but his Captain's arrival distracted him. He blinked in surprise at Obson and had the grace to look a little ashamed. Saevio lowered his head for a moment and replied in a softer voice than usual, "I am sorry, I did not mean to. Only, she was very rude and all." He informed him, pointedly ignoring the previous remark from the Yellow Reaper.

Chad nodded to Saevio in understanding, "Yes, she was, that much I'll give you. It was hard not to hear with both of you arguing so loudly. That is why I will not ask you to apologize to her. All I ask is that you show a little more discretion next time." He requested, hoping that Saevio would understand his reasoning. He dared to glance over at the Yellow Reaper, and saw that her own Captain was working on calming her down. It looked like they both had the situation well under control now. Obson took a look around the courtyard and saw that the incident had attracted the attention of a few other Captains and their dragonets. Thankfully, they were politely keeping their distance for the moment.

Saevio scratched at an itchy spot along his tail and then rumbled an agreement, "I will try." He promised earnestly. He knew he couldn't do more than that, especially since everything was still so new to him. Some movement off to the side caught Saevio's attention and he immediately stepped protectively in front of his Captain. He hissed a warning as Alcedonia's Captain began to approach them.

Obson's good humor was restored and he reached down to give the dragonet a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Fair enough." He replied, and blinked when Saevio suddenly stepped in front of him. He looked up and saw the same thing that Saevio had. Alcedonia's Captain was a little older than he was, with short curly chestnut brown hair and dark hazel eyes. Obson recognized Alcedonia's Captain and called out, "Rowlett is that really you?" He asked, and then turned his attention to reassuring Saevio, "It's okay, he won't hurt me Saevio. You have nothing to worry about."

Captain Blain Rowlett grinned as he recognized Obson in turn, "At your service." He replied with a mock half-bow and then remarked, "Well, well, if it isn't the devil who harnessed the Grey Widowmaker. I'd heard the rumors Obson, but I didn't believe it was true until a moment ago. That's a fine little fellow you've got, if a tad antagonistic. Don't worry though; I'm not upset about the incident. Truth be told, Alcedonia is usually calm, but she gets extremely grumpy and sharp-tongued if woken out of a sound sleep. I am sorry if she caused any trouble." He informed him and then reached out to shake Obson's hand, "Well I guess congratulations are in order. I expected you to harness a dragon someday, but I never thought it would be a Grey Widowmaker." He admitted. Captain Rowlett then addressed Saevio directly, "I apologize if Alcedonia upset you lad. She really didn't mean those remarks. Pray, think nothing further of it. She's already forgotten about it and gone back to sleep."

Saevio glanced back and forth between his Captain and Alcedonia's with a confused expression. He then centered his gaze upon Obson, "You know him?" He questioned in a surprised tone. The Grey Widowmaker seemed taken aback by Captain Rowlett's sudden apology. There was an uncomfortable silence before he answered, "She was quite rude, but I did wake her up, so I suppose it is partly my fault. It was nothing I could not handle though. It no longer concerns me." He informed Captain Rowlett with a slight nod of his head.

"That was most gracious of you Saevio." Obson complimented Saevio on his good show of manners. He then answered Saevio quickly, "Yes, as a matter of fact we both served aboard the same Yellow Reaper when I was younger." He informed the dragonet, and then turned his full attention upon Captain Rowlett. He shook the other man's hand heartily and then let go, "Well, that makes you Captain Rowlett now I believe. It is good to see you again, though I never thought it would be under these circumstances. Why, whatever happened to that Regal Copper egg you had your eye on?" Obson inquired, though he soon realized how the question sounded. He cleared his throat and looked apologetic, "Not that there is anything wrong with your Yellow Reaper. She is quite large for being so young." He complimented. He then waved off the apology as completely unnecessary, without even saying a word about it.

Captain Rowlett smiled at Saevio, "Yes it is." He replied in agreement with Obson's statement. Rowlett glanced over at Alcedonia and chuckled, "What happened is that I got impatient. I have spent my entire life in the service. I did not want to spend six more just waiting for that blasted egg to hatch. At least, not with a perfectly good Yellow Reaper egg that had already hardened. I rather like Yellow Reapers anyway; we both did well on Ambulare after all. So, I asked that they find someone more suitable for the regal copper egg and requested that I be allowed to try for the Yellow Reaper. The admirals thought I was a mite crazy, but they granted my request. Alcedonia certainly didn't take long in hatching. Three days and then she came bursting out of the shell. She acted dignified and perfectly calm, and so I called her Alcedonia." He explained with a touch of warmth in his voice for his dragonet.

Saevio wasn't sure how to take the change of events. He listened to the two Captains talk for a short while, but he soon lost interest in what they talked about. He really didn't see what was so good about Yellow Reapers anyway. Feeling a twinge of jealousy, Saevio decided to go off an investigate one of the other dragonets. The nearest dragonet he could see was a brown and purple Winchester. Saevio was a little annoyed by the fact that the Winchester was larger than he was. Then again, he was smaller than any dragonet in the courtyard. The fact would have distressed him, but he could tell that they were all older than he was by at least a couple weeks or more. Saevio approached the Winchester at a steady pace and paused when he was but a few feet away, "Good morning, I am Saevio. And what may I call you? Also, do you know when the training master will come? All this waiting is getting quite boring." The dragonet complained. He then tilted his head to the side and waited in silence for a response.

Citatus blinked his amber eyes rapidly and then snorted in response by expelling air from his nostrils. He gazed at the other dragonet with a rather helpless expression and slowly shook his muzzle from side to side. The Winchester then lowered his head and rested it upon his front claws. Both wings drooped in a show of abject misery and his shoulders hunched with tension. He managed to look ashamed and perfectly dismal at the same time.

Saevio's initial eagerness and curiosity soon turned to confusion. The response from the other dragonet was not something he had expected. It was then that he realized that the dragonet's Captain was not present. Perhaps the Winchester didn't have a Captain at all, though the presence of a harness made him doubt that theory. Or maybe the dragonet did have a Captain, but the Captain had rejected him and left. That could certainly explain why the Winchester was so miserable. Saevio rumbled in reassurance and decided to try a different approach, "Look, if you do not wish to speak to humans anymore, that is your choice. But I am a fellow dragon, so I do not understand why you will not answer me."

Citatus shook his wings in response and lifted his head just enough to shake it vigorously from side to side in denial. He looked at Saevio with an expression that pleaded for understanding. When he saw that none was forthcoming, he slouched down and closed his eyes. Citatus hoped that the other dragonet would just leave him alone, especially since he had no way of explaining the situation to him.

Captain Byron Morley exited out of the southwest tower and headed up the path towards the training courtyard. The man was anxious to deliver his news and return to Citatus. He knew how much his dragonet was prone to fretting when he was away for any period of time. As Morley approached the courtyard, he saw a sight that made his blood run cold. Citatus appeared to be curled up miserably and was probably being bullied by the smaller grey dragonet that was next to him. Anger caused Captain Morley's face to flush a beat red. He literally stomped his way into the courtyard and interposed himself between Citatus and the other dragonet. Both arms crossed over his chest and he stared down the strange dragonet, "Who are you and what have you done to Citatus?" He demanded in a tone laced with thinly concealed rage.

Saevio rumbled in surprise when the human stepped between him and the Winchester. He looked up at the man and saw that he was younger than Alcedonia's Captain Rowlett. The man looked older than the Cadets that Saevio had seen earlier, but not by much. He could only assume that this lanky red-haired youth was the Winchester's Captain. Saevio wasn't the least intimidated and he lashed his tail from side to side in agitation, "I am called Saevio, and I didn't do anything to him. I just asked him who he was. He would not tell me his own name or even talk to me. If you wish me to leave, I shall do so with great pleasure. I am tired of everyone being so rude." The Grey Widowmaker complained and then turned with the intention of returning to the side of his own Captain.

Citatus lifted his head up and then sprang to his feet once he caught sight of his Captain. The dragonet nuzzled his Captain's hand in greeting, making it quite clear that he was happy to see him. He then coiled around Morley's legs, making it impossible for him to leave. Only then did he return his attention to the other dragonet. Citatus wasn't sure what to make of the Grey Widowmaker. He was not mean like Chlotharius, but the last thing Citatus needed was more enemies. He figured the grey dragonet would just think he was stupid like many of the others did.

Captain Morley's anger drained out of him at Saevio's explanation. He cleared his throat with a bit of embarrassment and put up his hand in a gesture to forestall the grey dragonet's exit, "I did not mean to offend you. I can see now that you were only curious and did not know. I may have overreacted a little." He admitted shamefully. Morley then gestured to the Winchester, "I am Captain Byron Morley and this is Citatus, as I mentioned earlier. The reason he did not answer you is because he cannot speak. When he first hatched, I thought he had gone feral. However, he let me harness him readily enough and showed no inclination of taking off. Surgeon Hutche took a look at him and pronounced that his vocal cords were completely underdeveloped and would likely stay that way. He is hale and healthy in every other way. Many of the other dragonets do not understand and tease him for it, and others think he is stupid because of it." He explained and then addressed Citatus, "Enough of that you. I will trip over you if you keep that up. I am sorry I was away so long, but the others asked that I go and find out what was taking the training master so long to get here."

Saevio blinked and slowly turned back around to face Captain Morley. He listened to Morley's explanation and was taken aback to learn that Citatus was mute. It took a few moments for him to digest the information, and then Saevio snorted in disdain, "He is obviously not stupid. That much I can tell. It is not as though he is slow like a Greyling. I am glad you explained this to me. Thank you for letting me know Captain Morley," He replied in a stoic tone. Saevio looked directly at Citatus, "I just met that cow Alcedonia a bit earlier. If she or anyone of the others give you trouble, just come to me and I'll claw their muzzle for you. I have little patience for foolish dragons," He told the Winchester gruffly. After having seen the close bond between Captain Morley and Citatus, Saevio became eager to get back to his own Captain. He took a moment to glance at the pair, "I must return to my own Captain now, but I am glad to have met you both. Perhaps I will bring my own Captain over to meet you later." He remarked, and then quickly sprinted back to where he had left Obson.

Citatus stared at Saevio with wide amber eyes and blinked rapidly in surprise. He had never expected the Grey Widowmaker to react the way he had. Citatus had expected to be shunned, or scorned, or maligned in some way. He had never expected an offer of protection...and perhaps friendship. Citatus had no way of saying goodbye, except by exhaling sharply and making a huffing sound, which he did with great enthusiasm.

Captain Morley watched the Grey Widowmaker go and remarked, "You know, that may just be the nicest Grey Widowmaker I've ever met. Then again, that dragonet would be the first," He mused out loud. Morley then glanced down at Citatus, "You might just find a good friend in that one. Although, he'd definitely get in trouble if he clawed one of the other dragons. But that's for his own Captain and the training master to worry about. Anyway, I have to make an announcement to the others, so please excuse me for just a minute longer," He apologized, and then stepped carefully over his dragonet's tail. Morley walked until he was within hearing distance of everyone present. He then called out, "I have returned with a message from the training master. He was delayed by the Admirals, who wanted to discuss a few important matters with him. He shall be along shortly."

Alcedonia had woken up just long enough to hear part of the conversation between Captain Morley and Saevio. She gave a sleepy rumble and muttered, "Just wait until he wakes you from a sound sleep, and then tell me if you still think he is nice," She pointed out, before promptly closing her eyes and going back to sleep. This meant she completely missed the announcement about the training master.

Obson had been catching up on recent events with his old friend and it had taken a little while for him to notice Saevio's absence. Obson would have gone looking for him, except for the fact that he spotted the dragonet a little ways off, with what appeared to be a Winchester and his Captain. So he had been content to continue chatting with Captain Rowlett, while keeping an oblique eye on Saevio from a distance. Obson cut Rowlett's chatter short when he saw that Saevio was returning. He stepped forward to greet the dragonet with an open smile, "Welcome back Saevio. Pray, tell me how your visit with that Winchester went," He requested.

Saevio shot the sleeping Alcedonia a dirty look and then glanced back to his Captain. He then rushed forward to greet him with an enthusiastic nudge to Obson's knees. His wings hung half-flared at his sides when he answered, "It went very well I believe. The Winchester's name is Citatus, and his Captain's name is Byron Morley. Citatus would not talk to me at all, but then his Captain explained that he is mute. And now, are you quite done with talking to that Rowlett fellow?" He asked in a voice that was laced with disapproval. It's not that he disliked Rowlett, but the man was Alcedonia's Captain and he didn't like the rude Yellow Reaper.

Captain Obson blinked and then nodded to Saevio, "Yes, for now I think. On another subject, at least we know what happened to the training master. The Admirals seem to be making more demands these days. I do wonder how much longer..." He trailed off as a dark shadow fell over the courtyard. He looked up to see the impressive wingspan of the training master. A hush fell over the courtyard as both dragonets and their Captains fell silent. Without the sound of general chatter, the beating wings of the Parnassian sounded unusually loud. Obson watched as the large Parnassian passed overhead and then landed at the far end of the courtyard. There was a brief cloud of dust as the training master backwinged to a landing, but it settled not long after his huge claws hit the ground. Obson took a moment to study the dragon's appearance and found himself impressed. The Parnassian's head and neck were pure black, and he had a single splotch of scarlet upon his forehead. His eyes were orange-yellow and deep-set. Obsidian ridges trailed from the back of the dragon's neck down to the end of his tail. The dragon's body was mainly the color of cream, except for his wings and feet. The wings were broad with jagged black striations, and there were a series of scarlet splotches that spread out along the trailing edges. The feet were as black as the striations on his wings, and his large scythe-like claws looked like hardened onyx. Obson didn't fail to notice the massive amount of scarring around the base of the dragon's left wing.

Training master Virtus settled down on the ground and shook his wings slightly. His left wing ached where the scarring was, but it was a pain that always seemed to be with him now. He looked down at the assembled dragonet and their Captains and then announced, "I must apologize to all of you for my delay. As Captain Morley should have told you, I was called to an emergency meeting with the Admirals. I am afraid that the news I carry is rather grim. Our forces are spread thinner than ever before, especially because of the number of dragons that were injured in that ambush yesterday. I shall have to speed up your training even more than before. I trust that you are all up to the challenge. Now, I want all of you to warm up by doing 10 laps around the training valley in standard formation," He informed them. The Parnassian then scanned the crowd for new faces, "As I understand it, there are two newcomers. The Admirals have told me to be expecting you. Captain Obson and Grey Widowmaker Saevio, please step forward," He requested, though his tone made it clear that it was an order.

Saevio looked at the training master with an expression of awe and admiration. Dragons tended to be impressed by size and the Parnassian towered over all of them. It wasn't just the Parnassian's height that commanded Saevio's immediate respect. The training master had taken control of the others in less time than it had taken for Saevio to blink twice. The dragon exuded a sense of confidence and authority. When the training master ordered him to step forward, Saevio did so without even really thinking about it. He didn't feel any of the rebellion that he had when Alcedonia had tried to order him around. Saevio, the supposedly fierce Grey Widowmaker, had now turned as meek as a lamb.

Captain Obson stepped forward beside Saevio and gave a respectful bow, "It is good to meet you at last training master. Pray, think nothing of your tardiness. We all do what needs to be done to ensure the safety of this country. Saevio and I are both ready to begin training at your discretion," He informed the training master. A sidelong glance was given to Saevio, and he was surprised at how quiet and obedient the dragonet was. At first he thought the dragonet might be up to some sort of mischief, but Saevio didn't seem inclined to move or look up at all.

Virtus lowered his head until one of his large orange-yellow eyes was level with Saevio. He then snorted in amusement at the small dragonet, "Oh, what is this? I expected a wolf and they sent me a sheep," He remarked, hoping to draw the dragonet out of his shocked silence. His humor soon disappeared and he addressed Obson in a much more serious manner, "Thank you, and you may call me Master Virtus. I expect all those I train to use that title. Now, your Saevio is only a day out of the shell. He is too small for you to even contemplate getting on his back yet. He will have to grow much more before you can join the others in formation training. Now, here is what I want you to do. For the next two weeks you are to spend as much time with him as possible. I have asked a Cadet to deliver a few books to your quarters. You are to read to him for at least a few hours a day, and explain some of the most basic formations to him. I also want you to get him to do some basic exercises to keep his muscles in shape. He should also be out flying at least twice a day so that his wing muscles are kept in top condition. As for food, he can have buckets of meat for the next few days, but then I expect you to take him to the feeding pens so he can learn to feed himself. In two weeks he should be just barely large enough to begin formation training. I hate to rush things along, but it is necessary now more than ever."

The training master's jibe had the desired effect. Anger rippled through Saevio and he dared a hiss at the training master, "I am not a sheep, nor am I a wolf. I am a Grey Widowmaker!" He announced proudly, as if that meant he was special. He then listened as the training master explained what he wanted them to do for the next two weeks. Saevio rumbled in annoyance and interjected, "Most of that sounds rather dull. Can I not do something useful and fight?" He asked in an eager tone.

Obson nodded to Master Virtus in complete understanding, "Yes Master Virtus, I'll make sure that I do everything you have asked," He replied, with a brief but direct answer. He then winced a little at Saevio's response to the training master's words. He was afraid that if Saevio caused too much trouble that the Admirals would change their mind and try to send the Grey Widowmaker off to the breeding grounds. So he quickly turned to Saevio with a reprimand ready on his lips, "Saevio, do you not remember what I told you earlier about following orders?" He inquired in a tone of disapproval.

Virtus didn't lose his temper and just chuckled at the dragonet, "Well now, that's a bit more spirited. However, your Captain is quite correct. You must learn to take orders without questioning them. The reason you must do so is this. If you take time to question orders in the heat of battle, then you are dead. The enemy will not wait while you decide whether you want to follow an order or not. And not only would you be dead, but any in your formation who might be depending on you to take action would die too, or at the very least get hurt. It is good that you are eager to fight because the Aerial Corps needs dragons with fighting spirit. I assure you that if you follow orders, then I will train you both well and you will be able to fight many battles. You are still very very young and have a lot to learn. You will not only learn from me and your Captain, but you will learn from the other dragons who you will work in a formation with eventually. For now, just concentrate on learning the basics and growing," He advised the Grey Widowmaker before turning his attention back to Obson, "Good, see to it that you do. I do not have much time, but do either of you have questions?" He asked and tilted his head slightly.

Saevio stared down at his claws as he listened to the training master. He sometimes disliked being ordered around, but he didn't mind obeying orders from the proper authorities. The training master was a dragon to respect, and the Admirals didn't seem all that bad. He felt he could learn to live with most orders and decided then to make the effort. He lowered his head a bit and replied, "Very well then, I shall endeavour to follow orders," He declared in a tone full of resignation. Saevio then gave a meaningful look to his Captain, "I believe you do, am I right?" He asked, implying about the promise that he been made between them before.

Obson regarded Saevio for a few seconds and then cleared his throat, "So long as you honor the promise made to me and now the training master, then yes," He replied and turned to look directly at Virtus, "Saevio here has not yet had his first flight. He wishes to know if he may fly today. To be honest, I am not sure I can keep him from it for much longer," He admitted with a soft sigh.

Virtus stared down at both of them in surprise, "You mean he has not yet flown? Normally the Winchester's are allowed to fly around the barn a bit. I would have thought he would have been allowed the same. Yes, by all means you can go flying Saevio. Simply wait until the other dragonets come in from their laps around the training valley. I will be holding a class on the ground for a while then, lecturing them on a few subjects of importance. During that time you may fly about the valley for at least an hour," He informed the pair. With that said, he rose onto his hind legs and began to call out criticisms to the dragonets flying over the valley.

Saevio watched the dragonets flying and couldn't help but want to join them. Only his promise to his Captain and the training master held him firmly to the ground. To keep himself busy, he flared his wings open and gave a few experimental flaps. His wings certainly felt strong enough to lift him into the air. He only wished that the dragonets would hurry up. Watching them go around and around made him feel a little bit dizzy. He was suddenly distracted when he saw an auburn-haired Cadet running toward them.

Cadet Daunce took one look at the Grey Widowmaker dragonet and knew he'd found who he had been sent to find. He stopped short of the dragonet and his Captain, and his face had drained of color until it was a pasty white. He then turned to Captain Obson and spoke in a shaky voice, "I am sorry to bring you bad tidings Sir, but one of the Admirals thought it important you hear this news. I know of no kind way to put this Sir. But the man you knew as Captain Bewley and his Bright Copper Piperis are dead."


	5. A Memorable Day

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for all your patience. I really love the reviews I have gotten, and I always look forward to hearing from those who read my fanfiction. Whether it's a praise or criticism, it's always good to hear feedback on how I'm doing. Thank you all for everything, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. The next few chapters are going to come with even more surprises, twists, and turns. Anyway, feel free to read on.

**Chapter 5: A Memorable Day**

Obson looked at Cadet Daunce rather blankly; at least until the full extent of the news finally sunk in. An expression of horror crossed his face and he was rendered momentarily speechless. Of all the unexpected events of the day, this one shocked him the most. He didn't want to believe it, and he probably wouldn't have, except for the look on Cadet Daunce's face. The young man's facial expression said everything that he had failed to put into words. The loss of the dragon and his Captain was a hard one for Obson to take. Obson had lost comrades before and still carried the mental scars left by their deaths, but none had impacted him quite as deeply as this one did now. Captain Bewley had been both a mentor and a father-figure to him. The death of Piperis was almost as devastating, due to the fact that the Bright Copper had been one of the few dragons at the covert he had counted as a friend. He had hoped he might one day be in the same formation as Captain Bewley and Piperis, but now that was simply impossible. It took several seconds for Obson to come out of his stunned daze and force a few words out of his mouth, "Pray, tell me what happened, and quickly!" He demanded, dispensing with any sort of formality. He was sharper with the Cadet that he meant to be, but his grief had affected his judgement. Obson was so wound up with trying to hide his grief that he barely noticed Saevio was still there.

Saevio had overheard what the Cadet had said to his Captain. The dragonet had never met the Bright Copper or Captain Bewley. If Saevio had met them, he probably would have been jealous of Obson's affection for them. But the Grey Widowmaker never would have wished for their deaths. Saevio could tell by Obson's body language just how much the news had distressed him. Saevio didn't know what to do, so he settled for nuzzling his Captain's hand and offering his condolences, "I am sorry Chad, I know they meant much to you. Is there perhaps something I can do to help?" He offered, and never before had he felt so truly helpless.

Cadet Daunce politely looked away as he attempted to stem his own internal grief. In two weeks he would have been taken on by Captain Bewley as part of Piperis' crew. Part of him didn't want to recount the terrible story of their deaths, but the young man knew it was his duty. So he drew in a deep breath, cleared his throat, and began, "As you know Sir, the damned Corsican has been testing our defences along the channel for weeks now. He would send in a small group of light weights and see if he could slip them through. All this time the Admirals thought he was probing for a weakness to exploit. So every time the light weights came across, the nearest formation patrolling the channel would chase them off in a show of strength. What he was really doing all along was lulling us all into complacency; so that we didn't think much when a few more light weights tried to cross our border. The formation quickly moved to intercept the group of light weights. I believe the Admiral said there were two Poux-de-Ciel, two Plein-Vite, and one Roi-de-Vitesse. The two Anglewings in Piperis' formation went after the Plein-Vites. Grey Copper Scelus chased after one of the Poux-de-Ciel and split it off from the other one. The two Yellow Reapers in the formation moved in on the other Poux-de-Ciel. That left the Roi-de-Vitesse for Piperis to engage. The whole thing was a trap from the very start, and the light weights were just bait. The light weights continued to feint right or left, all the while remaining just out of reach. Piperis' crew managed to spray the side of the passing Roi-de-Vitesse with musket balls, for all the good that it did them. But then..." He trailed off and was too overcome by emotion to continue.

Obson listened to the story with a frown on his face, and that frown only deepened as the story went on. He could very well guess how it ended, but he needed to know the facts. Obson knew he would get them if he waited for the young man to compose himself. Obson was grateful for the distraction that Saevio provided at that moment. He looked down at Saevio and scratched an eyeridge, "Yes, there is something you can do. Pray, forget about my grief and go on your first flight. You have already delayed one day, and I do not wish you to rob you of the joy of your first flight," He informed the dragonet with the barest hint of a smile returning. Obson's expression soon turned grim once more and he settled his expectant gaze back upon the Cadet.

Saevio was torn about his Captain's request. He truly did desire to fly for the first time, but he doubted he could enjoy it, knowing that his Captain was so upset. Still, he could understand what Obson had requested between his words. The man probably wanted to be alone to deal with his grief without the interference of others. Saevio looked up and watched as the dragons in the training valley finished up their final circuit. As soon as they landed he could take off, if that was what he truly desired. Saevio struggled to come to a decision and finally rumbled softly, "I will go if that is what you truly wish, but I would very much like to hear the rest of what Cadet Daunce has to say first," He answered in a low tone.

Cadet Daunce knew he had to say the rest now before he became completely undone. He cleared his throat and attempted to continue, "A Grand Chevalier and a Petit Chevalier had been circling at a high altitude and were well-hidden by cloud cover. The Grand Chevalier dived from a high altitude and gave no warning. He did not roar and his crew remained quiet the entire time. By the time Captain Bewley spotted the dragon coming at them above, it was too late. Piperis tried to get out of the way, but he was a large heavy weight and just didn't have enough time. The Grand Chevalier raked his claws across the base of Piperis' neck and severed his spine. The dragon, his Captain, and all the crew went tumbling into the sea. The two French heavy-weights made short work of the rest of the formation. Only the Anglewing Vespa made it back alive, and just barely at that. A larger formation with more heavy weights was dispatched to the area, but the French dragons had already gone back across the channel. I am truly sorry Sir, it is a great loss for all," He informed them and then turned swiftly, "Pray forgive me but I have other duties I must attend to now. Admiral Litcott sends his condolences," He announced, and then headed back towards the covert walls at a swift walk.

Obson was rife with grief, but that grief soon channelled into anger. His shoulders hunched and his fists clenched, and he found himself looking for a convenient target. His gaze fell upon a single stone and he kicked at it viciously, sending the rock skimming across the surface of the ground. Obson then looked up at the sky and forced himself to take a deep breath, "Why? Why does this always have to happen? How many more are going to be killed by the damned French?" He asked, though the questions were not directed at Saevio. The truth was that he already knew the answers to those questions. The reason was because they were at war. The devil Napoleon was too clever by half. Instead of coming at them in one big push, it seemed he was picking them off in small numbers. It was a leeching kind of war that made everyone feel desperate and damaged morale. Napoleon seemed to know that if the British Aerial Corps lost their morale, then the war was already half-way won. Obson glanced down at Saevio and realized he might have alarmed him, "You must go Saevio. The dragons are coming in now, and I plan to head into the Officers' Club for a drink. Do not worry for my sake, I shall be fine shortly," He announced, certain that drowning himself in alcohol would dull his grief.

Saevio picked up on Obson's anger and felt his own rise to match it. A deep hiss was issued and he scraped the ground with his front claws, "I will go my Captain, but hear this first. When I grow larger, I will find that French dragon and make sure he experiences the same fate as Piperis. I do not care how long it takes me to find him," He told his Captain in a low and menacing tone. He never wanted to see his Captain this unhappy again, and he was willing to do anything to lift Obson's spirits.

Obson sadly shook his head at Saevio's declaration, "No, I would not see you take on a Grand Chevalier and his Captain for my sake. I am sure that sooner or later they themselves will fall victim to the war. There is no need to seek them out for vengeance. Concentrate on the here and now, because that is what is truly important. To seek revenge is to blind yourself to all other possibilities. Killing the Grand Chevalier would not bring Captain Bewley and Piperis back," He chided the dragonet and then began to walk in the same direction that the Cadet had gone. He was confident he could trust training master Virtus to keep an oblique eye on Saevio for him.

Saevio watched his Captain go and considered Obson's words. True, revenge might not bring them back, but avenging them might bring some satisfaction. After he mulled over the issue further, Saevio had to admit to himself that his Captain was right. He didn't want to waste his entire life in the search for a particular Grand Chevalier. Once again the urge to fly seemed to overwhelm him, and he desired to be away from the covert and the grief. Saevio spread his wings to their full extent and then tried to crane his head around to look at them. He could see the patches of slate grey that peppered his wings, though it was odd how the edges seemed to blur into the smoke grey that was the dominant color. He gave a few experimental flaps and became aware of the wind rushing over his body. The Grey Widowmaker turned his head forward again and made his way towards the steep drop off at the end of the courtyard. His navy blue eyes did not fail to notice just how far the bottom was. If he had been human, he would have hesitated. Saevio's one day delay in flight made him overeager and overconfident. In one smooth movement he tensed his hind leg muscles and then launched himself out into open air...and then he dropped like a stone. Gravity tugged him down as a gust of wind sent him tumbling helplessly. Saevio spun wildly and began to get dizzy from his panoramic view of the ground seemingly coming up the meet him. He flapped rapidly but he didn't even know which way was up anymore.

Virtus had just started his lesson with the rest of the class, when he had suddenly been interrupted by a Cadet. The Cadet had delivered the same news that had been given to Obson earlier. Technically Virtus should have received the news first, but the Cadet had been significantly slower in arriving. Virtus would have disciplined the Cadet for that, but the news had just been too shocking. In a split second, the training master made the decision to call off class for a few hours so that any affected by the deaths could compose themselves. The training master had made it his business to know everything he could about those he would be training. So it didn't take him long to figure out that Obson had been especially close with Piperis and Captain Bewley. Freed up from giving the lesson, the first order of business was to check up on his new charges. Virtus looked around for Obson, but the Captain was nowhere in sight. As Virtus scanned the area, he caught a fleeting glimpse of the Grey Widowmaker as he jumped over the edge. Virtus burst into action and leaped from a standing start before flapping his wings in powerful bursts. His bulky form lifted just above the courtyard and he glided his way easily above the drop off where the Grey Widowmaker had gone. He had hoped to see the Grey Widowmaker in a soaring glide, but was shocked to see Saevio tumbling helplessly towards the ground. There would be no time to attempt any sort of rescue. Virtus could only call out instructions and hope Saevio heeded them. Virtus drew in a deep lungful of air and then bellowed his orders, "Saevio, roll your weight to the right in order to level yourself out. Keep your wings steady and do not try to flap them, for the wind will catch them and you will glide. Lastly, look where you want to go, and keep your head and neck out straight."

Saevio felt rather stunned by the dizzying plunge, but reason seemed to assert itself as a familiar voice called out to him. The Grey Widowmaker did as he was told and frantically threw his weight to the right. Saevio found himself right side up again, though he still fell with alarming speed. He tried to keep his wings steady and stopped his frantic flapping. The wind whistled over his wings and he looked up, while stretching his head and neck straight out as Virtus had told him to do. To Saevio's amazement, he pulled out of the dizzying dive and into a relatively level glide. He didn't control the direction he was traveling in, but the wind carried him along easily enough. Once the sickening lurching had stopped, the fear that had come with it stopped too. Saevio was amazed by the sudden change, and alarmed by the fact that things had gone so wrong. He called back up to Virtus, "What was it that I did wrong?" He inquired, feeling rather out of sorts from the whole event.

Virtus folded his wings closer to his body and then went into a dive. The ground below became little more than a blur as he raced to catch up with Saevio. The dragonet appeared to be safe for the moment, but there was always the chance he might panic and fall. Virtus then tilted the trailing edges of his wings and pulled out of the dive at an altitude just above Saevio's. He didn't dare leave the dragonet alone yet after such a near disaster. Upon hearing the question posed to him, Virtus was swift to answer, "The fault lies not with you, but with Obson and myself to some extent. I thought he knew enough about dragons, that he could instruct you in your first flight properly. He has served with three dragons before and should have been able to handle it. He also knows the covert just as well as anyone, especially since he's spent his entire life here. I did not anticipate the delivery of the devastating news, nor the fact that his grief would blind him enough to leave you to unsupervised and alone for your first flight. The only thing you did wrong was jump off at the wrong spot of the drop off. There are always sheer winds close to the cliffs, and you were not prepared to handle them. You are small yet and so the winds had an even greater impact on you than most. Your Captain shall most certainly be upbraided for this when I see him next. I would have instructed you to take off from a point further along the drop off, where the winds are lessened by a sharp and jutting peak. Obson would have known about it for sure. For now, I shall fly with you and make sure there are no more mishaps. Simply relax now and allow your instincts to take over. You know how to fly, it is in your blood, and part of who you are," He informed Saevio in a voice that was gruffer than usual.

Saevio felt a lot better now that he was coasting easily on the wind. He found he was actually beginning to enjoy himself. There was a sense of unlimited freedom that came with soaring in the sky. He listened to the explanation Virtus gave with dawning comprehension and felt the need to protest, "My Captain was very upset; it is the first time I have ever seen him so distressed. I do not think it was entirely his fault," He retorted, hoping that the training master would go easy on his Captain. It was true that his Captain was partially responsible, but he was the one who had made the decision to jump after all. Also, the training master himself had admitted some fault. As Saevio thought more about it, he realized that it was a mistake anyone could have made. He simply could not find it in himself to resent his Captain for anything. The flying also seemed to have a calming effect, and without thinking he automatically swerved to the right to take advantage of an updraft. The wind swept over and underneath his wings, and the Grey Widowmaker found himself carried to a higher altitude. All his worries about Obson seemed to slip away as he revelled in the simple joy of flight. He understood now what the training master meant, about flying being in his blood and part of who he was. It felt like the most natural thing in the world now that he wasn't falling. Saevio banked sharply to the left to exit the updraft, since he didn't want to go any higher than he already was. He could see the entire training valley sprawling below him, and there was the shimmering of light off the lake in the distance. He flapped his wings and put on a burst of speed, and was surprised to see that he was pulling ahead of the training master.

Virtus watched the youngster enjoy his first flight, and it lightened his own mood briefly. The training master could see a lot of potential in the young Grey Widowmaker. He appeared to be a natural at flying; at least once the initial scare was over. Upon hearing the protest, the training master rumbled thoughtfully, "I won't make any promises Saevio. Regardless of what you think, he did put your life in danger. That is not something that can be taken lightly. I will wait and see how Obson reacts when he learns of what happened. Until then, I shall withhold my judgement."

Saevio dipped the trailing edges of his wings and angled them downwards to create a bit of drag. He had done it instinctively without even realizing it. The drag slowed his speed and he dropped back to fly alongside the massive Parnassian. Saevio didn't like the training master's tone, but he realized he didn't have much say in the matter. So he simply rumbled an agreement, "Fair enough," He replied and then he shot ahead of the training master in a flurry of wings. He found it was easy to outpace the Parnassian, whose wings beat at a much slower pace than his own did. Suddenly he spotted a flock of birds flying below and pulled his wings in closer to his sides. He looked where he wanted to go, which in this case was directly at the flock. Saevio stooped in a controlled dive right towards the flock of grey and white birds. He blundered through the middle of the flock, and the birds scattered in every direction. Their raucous calls were loud and harsh, but it all amused Saevio greatly.

Virtus forced himself to beat his wings harder and then followed Saevio in a dive. He pulled up slightly above and behind the Grey Widowmaker. He then called out to the dragonet, "I know you are enjoying yourself, but you should take it easy. Your wing muscles may be fully developed, but they will tire quickly if you put too much strain on them. I will fly with you a little longer, but then I must return to check in on the rest of my charges and see how they are handling the news. They have a few hours off, but I want to make sure they aren't doing anything foolish," He explained to Saevio.

Saevio pulled out of his dive with more control than before and swivelled his head back as much as he could to look over his shoulder at the training master. Saevio then gave a short bob of his head in understanding, "I shall try not to overdo it. I am finding flying to be much easier now. You do not need to supervise me anymore I think. So if you wish to go back to your charges now, then you are welcome to do so," He offered, feeling a lot more confident on his own now. Besides, he was anxious to explore and it would be hard to do that if the training master watched his every move.

Virtus stared down the Grey Widowmaker with his orange-yellow eyes, "Very well, then I will go. Pray, do not get yourself into any sort of mischief. I will expect you back at the training courtyard in half an hour. If you do not return by then, I will come looking for you and I will not be happy if I have to do so. I will also look out over the training valley periodically," He announced definitively. Virtus then relayed, "If you do find yourself tiring, then you must land right away. The shore of the lake is usually a good place to catch your breath. You may land to rest anywhere in the training valley, but do not fly beyond it," He ordered in a strict tone. Virtus then circled sharply to the right and headed back in the direction of the training courtyard.

Saevio almost regretted suggesting that the training master return to his charges. The sky was very empty without another dragon in the training valley. Even the birds had fled after his playful 'attack'. Little did he know that most of the dragons in the covert were absent on double patrols over the channel in response to the most recent news. Saevio decided to investigate the valley at a closer view and took advantage of the air currents. He turned left into a downdraft and rode it until he was only a few meters above the valley floor. Saevio switched back to gliding at that point, and was surprised to discover that the training master had been correct once again. He could acutely feel the soreness of his wing muscles, which were not used to this kind of strain. Saevio had no desire to return to the training courtyard just yet; so he took the training master's suggestion and angled himself in the direction of the lake. As he glided his way towards the shore, he realized he was coming in too fast. Saevio impacted with a sharp jolt and then went skidding across the shore in a shower of sand and pebbles. The Grey Widowmaker finally came to a stop several meters from where he had intended to land. Saevio shook his head to clear the disorientation, but he was relatively unharmed. After taking a moment to catch his breath, the dragonet glanced around to take note of his surroundings. The water of the lake looked inviting, but the tree line appeared to be equally as intriguing. Suddenly he raised his head and sniffed cautiously at the air. He was picking up on the fresh scent of another dragon, and it did not belong to Virtus. Saevio lowered his head and began to follow the scent towards the trees. He scanned the forest with his navy blue eyes and then saw a blur of movement. Saevio darted forward to give chase and then abruptly ran into a solid wall of flesh. The impact was enough to send him sprawling back onto his side.

Reddish-orange eyes stared down at the small dragonet in consideration. The strange brown and green dragon dismissed Saevio as an immediate threat; but she still moved to pin down the dragonet with her narrow curving claws. She then tightened her grip upon the Grey Widowmaker in warning, "You will tell no one that I have been here or that you have seen me. I did not wish to be discovered, but I did not expect a dragonet to come skulking around here either. I will only let you go if you promise me you will not tell," She informed Saevio in a tone that was deadly serious.

Saevio blinked his inner eyelids in surprise and struggled to move, but the dragon had him in a tight grip and he could not even open his wings. Saevio gave as vicious a snarl as he could manage under the circumstances and continued to thrash in the dragon's grasp, "I do not care why you are here and I do not see why it matters...unless you are a French spy!" he declared in an accusatory tone. It was the only reason he could think of for the dragon's harsh reaction to his presence. He didn't think he was the one who had any explaining to do. He wasn't afraid of the much bigger dragon and he proved it with his next words, "Let me go or I will roar loud enough to bring the whole covert down upon you," He threatened. The threat was a hollow one though and he knew it. He simply wasn't big enough to project a roar that would reach all the way to the covert. He doubted that Virtus would hear him if he tried.

The brown-green dragon looked at Saevio with an expression of disgust and lifted her claws away, "You have a big mouth for being so small. You are lucky that I am not in the habit of harming dragonets. My name is Mimosa and I am NOT a French spy. I am insulted that you would imply as much. We are both British dragons. I am what humans refer to as a feral and I'm also of a different breed than you," She explained irritably. She then snorted in annoyance, "I suppose I may as well spare you the trouble of asking why I am here. I became curious when I saw a stream of dragons flying overhead and decided to investigate. I don't normally like to come this close to humans, but I wanted to know what was going on so that I could keep out of the line of any battles. I don't want to get caught up in this war after all. I have no intention of giving any information to the French, so you need not worry about that. Now, will you be a good dragonet and keep quiet about this?"

Saevio scrambled out of the dragon's reach as soon as she let him go. The Grey Widowmaker then fell into a crouch and mantled his wings in anger. His navy blue eyes pinned Mimosa with a suspicious glare, "We are ill met Mimosa, if that is even your real name. My name is Saevio if it matters to you at all. I shall not promise you a thing. You attacked me and now you expect me to believe your lies? You do not look like any British dragon I have ever seen or heard about. You may try to trick me, but you shall never fool me. Besides, I have heard all ferals are kept in breeding grounds. I still think you are a French spy and I will tell the training master about you as soon as I get back," He announced before turning, swift as a snake, and flapping in an attempt to get off the ground.

Mimosa rumbled in exasperation and darted forward. She curled her claws around the dragonet's slender tail in order to prevent him from taking off. She then sat back on her haunches and gave a menacing hiss, "Listen you little wretch. You are just a hatchling and you know nothing about the world. I am far older than you and much smarter. Now pay attention because I am only going to explain this once. Not all ferals are kept in the breeding grounds, though the humans would like to think they are. Some ferals leave the breeding grounds and survive in the wild. A blind eye is turned to us, so long as we do not go near humans or steal livestock. I will admit that there are not many, and if any of the covert dragons encounter us, then we are usually escorted to the nearest breeding ground. That is why I do not want you to call attention to my presence. I do not want to live out the rest of my life in the breeding grounds. Also, I am a cross between a Sharpspitter and a Winchester, which is why I look so different. I've only held you down, not attacked you. I am going to release you again and I hope this time you will come to your senses," She told him and then promptly let go of his tail.

Saevio rumbled indignantly when he found himself caught by his tail. He had been about to turn and bite her foot when she had suddenly lectured him and let go. Saevio's pride was stung by her treatment, and her rudeness was at a level he had never encountered in his short life. It was only the note of desperation in her voice that gave him pause. He curled in a heap and pulled his wings closely against his sides. He then took a moment to look over the strange dragon. She was a quarter the size of a Parnassian, and looked closer to a Sharpspitter than a Wincher. Her coloration was mostly a rich verdant green that was overlaid with dark streaks of brown. She actually blended in quite well with the forest foliage, which explained why she hadn't been discovered until now. Did he dare to consider trusting her? What if she really was working with the French? Saevio wished Obson was with him so that he could ask his opinion, but then again he didn't want his Captain to get in more trouble than he already was. Saevio was silent for several seconds until he finally came to a decision, "What you say may be true, but you can offer me no proof other than your words. I do not think you can be trusted. Regardless, I do not want to be responsible for what would happen to you if I told. So this time, I shall pretend I did not meet you and I will not say a thing. However, if I ever find you here again, I can make no such promise," He warned her and then announced, "I should return to the training courtyard now. If I do not get back soon, then the training master will come looking for me and you will be found for sure."

Mimosa narrowed her eyes and gave a soft huff, "If that is the best you can manage, then I suppose I must accept it. I must say, I am surprised to find a Grey Widowmaker under harness. I thought the humans found your kind to be uncontrollable and thus useless to them. Truly, it is a shame that you have no brains. If you were smart, you would chew off that harness and fly away. You will certainly get killed in battle at some point if you remain with the Aerial Corps. Well, I shall be off too before I am spotted by some other harnessed dragon. Fare well or poorly, as you choose," She informed him before shifting herself to her feet and disappearing into the thick undergrowth of the forest.

Saevio gave the feral's words a few seconds of thought, and then dismissed her suggestion altogether. In his mind, the feral was nothing but a great coward. He would never consider abandoning Obson, and he wasn't afraid of the battles that were to come in his future. Mimosa obviously had no idea what being a Grey Widowmaker meant. With his anger giving him a surge of adrenaline, Saevio leaped up and brought hit wings down in powerful downstroke. He repeatedly beat his wings and then rose up into the air. Saevio sought out an updraft and glided, no longer having to work so hard to keep himself aloft. As he raced back toward the training courtyard, he began to wonder how Obson was faring. Saevio was eager to get back to his Captain, and so he veered out of the updraft as soon as he reached a comfortable altitude. Thankfully the wind was in his favor and it allowed him to fly faster than he normally would have been able to. Soon enough he could see the four identical towers that marked the covert, as well as the training courtyard. His gaze locked upon the training courtyard in particular. Saevio saw that the courtyard was occupied by the training master, and two other dragonets. The closer that he got to the training courtyard, the more Saevio realized that he was coming in too fast. Flying was the easy part now, and the landings were the hardest. He really didn't want a repeat of his landing on the beach. He dipped the trailing edges of his wings to slow his speed like he had once before. He did slow down somewhat, but not enough for a safe landing.

Virtus was about to answer a question from one of his charges, when he saw Saevio returning. It soon became clear to him that the Grey Widowmaker didn't know how to land. Virtus reared up on his hind legs and called out to the dragonet, "You can trim your speed more by leaning back. Cup your wings around the wind to create more drag. Look where you want to land and stretch out your hind legs and feet towards it. When your claws hit the ground, dig them in, and then settle your weight forward onto your front claws," He instructed, knowing by now that Saevio was fairly good at following orders.

Saevio followed the training master's instructions to the letter and impacted the ground with his back feet first. He kept his wings flared for balance and then dropped down onto all fours. The impact jarred his legs a little, but overall he found that this landing was much smoother than his first one. He shook out his wings in relief and then turned his gaze to the training master, "I do not even know I could land like that. Thank you very much for your help. Do you know where my Captain is now? It has been a while and I want to be sure he is okay," He inquired in a hopeful tone.

Virtus nodded at the Grey Widowmaker, as if he had been expecting as much. The training master lowered his front legs back to the ground and regarded Saevio with a serious expression, "I sent a Cadet inside to look in on your Captain. It appears he went overboard on the alcohol and got drunk with Alcedonia's Captain, as well as some of the other officers. He is currently in his quarters sleeping off the effects of imbibing too much wine. I am afraid you will not be able to see him for a little while. I could wake him and have him come out to see you, but that would not be a wise move. Alcohol has a way of affecting humans and they act very stupidly when they have drank too much. I am just waiting for my charges to return for the lesson, but so far only Chlotharius, Lentesco, and their Captains have returned. I sent their Captains off to look for the others. Since you are here you may as well come over and meet the dragonets. You will be working with them in formation training in a few weeks anyway. Come this way and I shall introduce you to them," He suggested to Saevio.

Saevio bounded over to stop a few meters away from where the training master was standing. He then bobbed his head in acknowledgement, "I am glad that my Captain is sleeping. He would probably get himself into all sorts of trouble without me there to keep an eye on him. Anyway, I should like to meet these charges of yours," He agreed. Saevio was curious about the other dragonets and wanted to know more about them. He wasn't quite as eager to meet their Captains, but that was because the only human he really liked was his own Captain. Saevio then raised his head and took a look at the two dragonets. The first dragonet was a Chequered Nettle, and he looked both older and larger than any of the dragonets Saevio had seen so far. The dragonet's body was bulky and muscular, and he had a row of ridges running along the length of his entire form. The fellow's main coloration was a light cream and his body was criss-crossed with numerous bands of royal purple. His tail looked rather fat and was denoted by a scattering of sharp purple barbs. The second dragonet Saevio saw had to be an Anglewing. The dragonet was only half the size of the Chequered Nettle, and his body was long and lean. The scales were a healthy golden-brown that almost looked glossy. The golden-brown body was striated with bands of yellow and he also had some yellow teardrop-shaped patches on the wings. He could hear from a distance that the dragonets were chatting, but he wasn't able to make out what they were saying.

Virtus fixed his charges with a stern look and gave a short roar to silence them. He then cleared his throat and gestured towards Saevio, "Lentesco, Chlotharius, I would like you to meet Saevio. He is a Grey Widowmaker and he shall be taking part in your formation training in a couple weeks. I expect you both to treat him with the same courtesy that you would your Captains. Since the other dragonets and Captains have not yet arrived, I shall have to go and round them up. I will leave you all to get acquainted in the meantime," He announced. The training master crouched down and then propelled himself into the air with a leap. The strong beating of his wings sent currents of wind gusting across the training courtyard. He flew on a course that brought him directly over the covert, and then disappeared over the wall into the main courtyard.

Chlotharius paused in his conversation with Lentesco very briefly. He watched as the training master took off and remarked to the Anglewing, "The training master is always taking off somewhere. Then again, I suppose he does have more charges than usual to deal with," He admitted. The Chequered Nettle then settled his yellow-orange gaze upon Saevio and snorted in disdain. Chlotharius heaved himself to his feet and lumbered forward to stand menacingly in front of Saevio, "Well, well, what do we have here? You look a little scrawny to be joining my formation. The training master may think he is in charge, but the truth is something he shall never know. Since it seems I am going to be stuck with you around, you may as well learn the rules. Rule number one is that you follow my orders above all others without question. Failure to do so will result in some sort of punishment, and it is never pleasant. I am and always will be bigger and stronger than you. Oh, and do not think you can blab to the training master about this. I have many friends and they can make your life truly miserable. Rule number two is that I always eat first, no matter how hungry you may be. The third rule is that you always hand over a share of your food to me. So once you are older and you are allowed to take cows, you must give me at least one. There, I have made my rules nice and clear. Do you understand them little pipsqueak?"

Saevio had never expected to be greeted so rudely. It made Mimosa's earlier behavior seem polite in comparison. Who was this loud mouth Chequered Nettle to try to tell him what to do? Saevio seemed to find himself surrounded by idiots. The Grey Widowmaker hissed in response, "It is not your formation, since you are in training like all the others. You may wish you were in charge, but you must know that the training master is the only one here with true authority. If you want to puff yourself up and strut around then go ahead, but I shall not have any part of it. And if you truly do manage to make the others follow your rules, then it is no wonder you are so fat. Since you do not seem to possess any common sense, then you may stuff a cow in it and go away. I do not want to talk to you any further," He retorted fearlessly.

Lentesco stepped forward and eyed the small dragonet with a mixture of awe and fascination, "Well I'll be, I never thought I'd see the day when a dragonet would stand up to Chlotharius. Most of the other dragonets just let him have his way. You are either very brave or very stupid, and I cannot decide which," He remarked and then chuckled at Chlotharius, "He certainly put you in your place. You should know better by now not to bully the younger dragonets Chlo," He chided and then stalked over to stand near Saevio, "I'm Lentesco by the way, and you can guess by now that's Chlotharius. Don't mind him, he's not really as bad as he sounds; he just likes others to think he is the baddest dragonet in the group. He's under the impression that he'll be leading the formation when we'll all fully grown. I have my doubts," He informed Saevio in a cheerful voice.

Chlotharius huffed and glared down at Saevio, "Just don't get in my way," He warned angrily and then gave Lentesco a shove in the shoulder with his blunted muzzle, "Knock it off Lentesco, you're cramping my image. I'll do what I want and you have no say in it. I tire of your company anyway," He grumped and then gave a wide yawn. The Chequered Nettle stomped away from Saevio and Lentesco and settled down at the far end of the courtyard. He pulled his wings close to his sides and closed his inner eyelids. In a few seconds the Chequered Nettle slipped off to sleep and started snoring loudly.

Saevio calmed a little when Lentesco approached. Chlotharius may have liked to think himself a leader, but the Chequered Nettle tolerated Lentesco's interference without too much trouble. He had to admit that the Anglewing had a point. Chlotharius didn't look quite so bad when he was snoring fit to wake the dead. Saevio gave a sigh that was half from relief and half from exhaustion. It had been a long day for him already and he felt like curling up and doing the same as Chlotharius. Still, now he was in decent company at least and had a chance to find out some of the things he wanted to know. He gave a soft rumble of amusement and looked up at Lentesco, "I would like to think I am brave more than anything. Chlotharius does not scare me in the least. I really hope he does not lead a formation, because he does not seem the leader type. But from what the training master has indicated, we're all to be in a formation together?" He inquired in a curious tone.

Lentesco settled down on the ground not far from Saevio and crossed his front legs comfortably. He then rumbled in acknowledgement, "Yes, the training master intends for all of us to serve in a formation together. That is why so many of us are being trained together. Chlotharius is the only heavy weight in the group, and as a result he will likely end up as formation leader when he is full grown. The training master shall have to find a position for you within the formation. You will likely either be used as a scout or a light skirmisher. I am thinking the latter, since any dragon that can fight is badly needed now. You shall know what he has decided in a few weeks. I look forward to when you can join us in training. Right now the only light weight in the group is that little mute Winchester," He informed the Saevio. Lentesco coiled his tail in front of his front claws and asked, "So how many of our training group have you met so far?"

Saevio listened to Lentesco with avid interest and commented, "I would certainly prefer the latter. I want to fight, not just look around and report back. That would be downright boring," He remarked before tilting his head as he thought, "So far I have met that cranky cow Alcedonia and her Captain Rowlett, Winchester Citatus and Captain Morley, and now you and Chlotharius," He relayed to Lentesco. Saevio was a little put out that Lentesco wouldn't even refer to Citatus by name, but that could have just been an oversight on his part. Either way, Saevio was just too tired to bring it up. Saevio then commented, "I am looking forward to the training as well. It looks like it will be interesting."

Lentesco nodded to the young Grey Widowmaker, "Well the actual formation training can be dull at times. However, things are rarely boring with this group. You shall see what I mean later on I'm sure. From what you've told me, I can gather there are two dragonets of our training class you have not met. We have a female Xenica by the name Tenera, and a male Yellow Reaper called Phaidros. Tenera is nice enough and I see no problems with you getting along with her. Phaidros is...well he's a dragon of few words. He doesn't like to talk much and he's rather aloof. Anyway, you look all done in and I think it best that you get some sleep while you can. The training master will not be happy with you if you overtax yourself," He informed him in a concerned tone.

Saevio took a mental note of the names and the details that Lentesco had given him. It was hard to keep all the details straight in his head at the moment. His wings ached and he felt extremely lethargic. In the end he gave a mighty yawn and decided to give up the struggle. He looked at Lentesco with his inner eyelids half closed and muttered, "I think I shall do that. If Obson comes, pray tell him that I am going to be sleeping here," He requested to the Anglewing. Saevio then curled up with his head resting upon the end of his tail. He sank into a deep dreamless sleep, and so he didn't see when Lentesco followed suit. When the training master came back, he would find three sleeping dragonets.

All three dragonets were rudely awoken later when Captain Byron Morley charged into the courtyard and yelled, "Have any of you seen Citatus? He's gone missing and I can't find him anywhere. And if you haven't, then get off your lazy arses and help look!" The man demanded with an edge of panic to his voice. He had gone to the main courtyard where he'd seen Citatus fly to after the training master had given them a few hours off. Only, Citatus hadn't been there and anybody he asked said they hadn't seen him in a while. He didn't understand how the dragonet could have disappeared right under everyone's noses.


	6. A Rescue Operation

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.

Author's Note: This chapter is going to be an adventure to read, please enjoy it. As for the upcoming chapter 7, it is overdue, I know. I am sorry, as I ran into writer's block and it took me a while to get back into writing the fanfic. I am hoping to have it finished and posted by the 19th at the latest.

**Chapter 6: A Rescue Operation**

Saevio blinked his inner eyelids blearily, but soon became alert upon hearing that Citatus was missing. He looked around the training courtyard and the only dragonets he saw were Lentesco and Chlotharius. The Grey Widowmaker raised his head and regarded Captain Morley sleepily, "The training master and the other dragonets have not returned. Perhaps the training master has simply taken them all away on some private lesson?" he suggested, though his tone of voice was hardly reassuring. That was the only thing he could think of...until he remembered Mimosa. A feeling of cold dread settled over him, and he realized that he may have been wrong to keep the feral's presence a secret. What if Mimosa had captured Citatus? Mimosa may not have been the largest of dragons, but she certainly wouldn't have any trouble carrying a dragonet the size of Citatus. The Winchester would have made a convenient target, especially since he lacked the ability to call out for help. Saevio knew he was obligated to tell the others about it, despite the fact he could get into trouble. He took a deep breath and was about to relay his story, but then he was interrupted.

Captain Morley sighed and rested his forehead against one hand in exasperation, "You must have been sleeping quite a while. The Admirals have called another meeting and the training master was ordered to attend. I was not told the reason, only that the lesson was called off permanently for today. The training master can hardly carry on a lesson when he is continually called away. I suspect they may be deliberating about how to counter Napoleon's most recent strategies, but that is only a guess. Most of the dragonets are off in the main courtyard with their respective Captains. You three were left here to sleep since you all needed it," He informed Saevio, though the information was also directed at Lentesco and Chlotharius. Captain Morley took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, "I would not have woken you, but I had hoped that one of you may have seen him before you fell asleep. If you could find it in yourselves to look around the immediate area, that would be most appreciated."

Chlotharius slammed his barbed tail against the ground and rumbled in annoyance. He fixed Captain Morley with an angry glare, "You would dare to disturb my sleep for the sake of that useless pile of bones? I am not surprised that nobody has seen him. He has probably gone off to sulk somewhere. He is forever slinking about like a whipped cur. I am certainly not going to lift a talon for that mongrel. If it distresses you so, then just wait a while and I am sure he will return once he is hungry enough. I will thank you for bringing us news of the training master and the lesson. At least you did not wake me entirely for nothing."

Lentesco hissed his disapproval to the Chequered Nettle, "Chlotharius, that is both rude and unbecoming of you. Citatus is not anything like a dog. And if he slinks around, it is only because you are so mean. Anyway, is that the sort of thing that you would like another dragonet to tell your Captain if you ever went missing?" he asked rhetorically. He then turned his full attention upon Captain Morley, "Pray, do not heed him in the least. He is always this way and it simply does not help matters. I am sorry Captain Morley, however, we know even less than you do. We did not even know he was missing until you told us. I can certainly make a circuit around half the training valley and look. That is where he trains and seems to feel comfortable, so he may have gone there," He suggested and then looked pointedly to Saevio, "If you are feeling refreshed from your sleep, perhaps you would be willing to fly a circuit over the other half?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

Saevio leaped to his feet in an instant and gave a vicious snarl in the direction of Chlotharius. His wings rustled with agitation as he turned to face the Chequered Nettle, "Citatus is far from useless. You are the one who is useless and lazy. Stay here and get fatter if you wish. I should like to see what explanation you give the training master when he returns," he retorted, though his words lacked their usual ferocity. He felt that Lentesco had done a good enough job of rebuking Chlotharius. His attention centered upon Captain Morley next, "Oh, I did not know. I suppose then that you can not interrupt the meeting to inform the training master of this. Are the other dragonets and their Captains willing to help at all?" he queried and addressed both the Captain and Lentesco together, "I am certainly willing to help in any way that I can. I will take the far side of the training valley with the lake, and you can take the other half Lentesco?" he asked hopefully. Saevio figured that if he could search the area he'd been before, he might be able to pick up Mimosa's trail. That way he could hold off on telling them about the feral, at least for a while longer.

Captain Morley gave both Lentesco and Saevio a grateful look, "Thank you, that is most kind of you both. I have asked some of the other Captains and their dragonets, and I also enlisted some of the Cadets to help. Many of them are now searching the main courtyard, and a few are looking over the hills that surround the covert. Xenica dragonet Tenera and her Captain have gone to search the outlying areas around the village. I would have asked full-grown dragons and their Captains, but most of them are still off patrolling the channel. The only ones here are on guard duty and thus aren't allowed to leave their posts. So far nobody has found anything and in an hour or so it shall be dark. The training valley is one place that has not been searched yet. Pray, go quickly then and do not stay out longer than an hour. I do not wish anything to happen to either of you," he informed them. Morley pointedly ignored Chlotharius, not willing to show the beast his anger. He planned to have a talk with the training master about Chlotharius someday soon, but Citatus was first priority.

Chlotharius turned up his snout at the lot of them, "I am not going to go missing, so that shall never come up. Call me names all you want, but I am not going to fly around in a panic and look for him. I wish you all the fun of flying about in the rain. But when you are all wet and miserable, do not come whining back to me about it."

Lentesco tilted his muzzle upward and realized that Chlotharius was right. It had just begun to drizzle a little, but it would soon turn to into a full torrent. The smell of moisture was thick in the air and the dark clouds were low in the sky. Even so, he would not call off the search attempt when a promise had been made. He nodded politely to Captain Morley, "You are most welcome. I shall be off now before the weather turns fierce," he informed him and then looked to Saevio, "That is fine by me. I am not sure how you will handle flying in the rain. You only had your first flight today after all. Use caution and land quickly if the rain is too much for you to handle," he suggested politely. He decided to take up Captain Morley's example and ignore Chlotharius. Lentesco snapped open his angular wings and made a leap into the air. The lemon drop patches on his wings seemed to blur as he beat his wings at high speed. Lentesco turned in the air sharply and flew in the direction of the training valley.

Captain Savill arrived at the training courtyard just in time to see Lentesco take off. He watched the dragonet for a moment, and then directed his gaze across the courtyard as he searched for his own dragonet. His brown eyes centered upon Chlotharius and he grinned, "Ah, you are finally awake. I had hoped that you would be. I was inside working on arranging my quarters. There wasn't much else to do with the lesson cancelled and you sleeping. Would you care to go on a short flight down to the village? I received my pay just recently and I thought I could purchase you a few things," He offered; wholly unaware of the current situation.

Saevio had been about to take off as well, but he delayed for a moment to examine Chlotharius's Captain. The man looked to be tall with broad shoulders and a stocky build. His eyes were a dark brown, and the man's hair was a distinctive russet brown. He didn't look half as intimidating as Chlotharius, and seemed to have a friendlier disposition. Saevio craned his head around to look at Chlotharius, "Well if you are going to stay here, you may as well bring your Captain up on the current news," He suggested, and briefly bobbed his head in Captain Savill's direction. Saevio felt the same sense of urgency that Lentesco did. He flared his slate-patched wings and followed Lentesco's example by leaping into the sky. As he brought his wings down, he noticed a distinct change in the air. The air was thicker with humidity and he had to flap a little harder to stay aloft. Saevio beat his wings faster and darted upward, leaving the training courtyard behind and rising above the valley. The valley looked much darker than it had earlier in the day, though it was mostly because of the low hanging clouds.

The Grey Widowmaker arrowed himself in the direction of the lake and hoped that he wasn't too late to save Citatus. He didn't know why he'd even chosen to keep quiet about Mimosa. The dragonet knew he should have told, but he'd lacked the courage to do so. Perhaps it was simply that he had made a promise and he was loathe to break it. Whatever the reason, Saevio was determined to correct the mistake himself. The wind suddenly picked up, and Saevio found himself having to work twice as hard just to keep level. He could feel the strain in his wing muscles from the effort, but he pressed forward with determination. Several big fat raindrops hit his muzzle, which was all the warning Saevio had before he was struck by a deluge of water. The rain pelted hard against his body, and he had to close his inner eyelids to slits in order to see. Rain came down in sheets so thick that Saevio lost sight of the lake in the distance. Water streamed off him in steady rivulets and his wingbeats slowed involuntarily. A gust of turbulent wind struck at him from the side, and the besieged dragonet was caught by surprise. The strong winds spun him around and he became trapped in a powerful downdraft that both pushed him forward and dragged him down. Saevio was too stunned at first to react and simply flapped weakly as he tried to regain his senses.

Saevio was thankful for his prior experience with sheer winds. He remembered the instructions of the training master well. The dragonet threw all his weight in one direction and tried to level out into a glide, but that provided to be next to impossible with the rain and downdraft driving him down. The rain was striking against him so hard that it stung his sensitive wings, where the scales were thinner. Saevio began to get rather annoyed with the weather, as if it was personally trying to stop him from searching for Citatus. Annoyance soon turned to anger and the adrenaline surge gave him a much needed burst of energy. Saevio went into a stoop with his wings pulled in so that they were half-furled against his body. His vision was soon filled with a sea of green trees. The wind had blown him off course and he must have come out over the edge of the forest, and not the part of the forest by the lake either. Yet, he could see no end to the trees at all. He snapped out his wings to their full extent and then veered sharply to the right. He could not turn as smoothly as Lentesco, but his small size allowed him to dart around swiftly enough. Saevio managed to pull free of the downdraft, and not a moment too soon. His tail brushed against one of the taller pines and he automatically adjusted by pulling up a little.

The wind currents closer to the treetops were much calmer than the turbulent ones at higher altitudes. The rain still came down heavily, and Saevio was completely exhausted. The Grey Widowmaker's wings trembled under the strain of keeping him aloft. He knew he had no choice now but to land. He spotted a narrow gap between the trees and it was all he needed. Saevio stooped downward and slowed his speed, and then he practiced the landing that the training master had taught him. In the end, he managed to touch down with his back legs before he collapsed in an exhausted heap on the ground. The muscles of his wings burned as if they were on fire and he found he didn't have the strength left to move. All he could do was gulp in deep breaths of air and try to ignore the steady rainwater washing over him. It took several minutes before he felt well enough to lift his head and look at his surroundings. Tall pines loomed in every direction and the forest floor was covered in pine needles and fallen branches. There was suddenly a loud creaking groan as an old rotten pine gave way. The event was followed by a loud crash that sounded through the forest. Thankfully, the pine was somewhat to the south of the clearing Saevio was in, and so the dragonet was never in direct danger. Still, it did drive the point home to Saevio that he had to find some sort of shelter.

It took every bit of Saevio's willpower to marshal himself to his feet. He pulled his aching wings against his sides and trudged forward. The ground was turning into mud due to the steady deluge of rain. Saevio forced himself to keep moving and he wove around any trees that were in his way. His pace was slow and his muscles protested every step of the way. He didn't know how long that he walked for. The forest always seemed to look the same and he had to stop several times to rest. Yet, Saevio gradually was able to tell that he was going uphill. When the dragonet finally reached the top of the hill, the sight was disappointing. There was no visible type of shelter, though the downward slope of the hill was covered in a scattering of rocks and large boulders. Several trees were present but most of them were saplings and provided little protection from the rain or wind. Saevio was just about to turn back when he noticed a couple of boulders near the bottom of the hill. Not only were they large and side by side, but they were embedded in the hill and jutted out to create a sort of overhang. His spirits rose and he eagerly began to skid his way down the hill, flaring his wings every now and again for balance. He reached the bottom of the hill and promptly his feet sunk into deep mud. Saevio looked around and noticed that mud was splattered around, as if someone else had been there before him.

Saevio pulled his feet up and slogged through the mud, and he was grateful that it wasn't too deep. It soon became apparent that there were tracks in the mud, though the falling rain had distorted them until they were little more than holes. Saevio would have gone to the shelter of the overhang, but new hope sprung in him that the tracks might have been made by another dragon. He followed them for several minutes, and they lead him over deeper muddy ground. He continued forward until he eventually he hit solid ground and didn't know where to go. It was hard to see tracks without the mud, and Saevio looked around wildly. The rain was still coming down relatively hard, but he was getting used to peering through it. He thought he saw a solid wall of stone in the distance and he rushed towards it, heedless of his pain and the sticks that snapped back across his muzzle. At the very bottom of the cliff was a shallow cave with an overhanging ledge; and in that shallow cave was a curled up and hunched form that could only be...Citatus? The Grey Widowmaker blinked twice but he was sure it was him. Saevio had never been so relieved to see another dragon in his life. He bolted towards the dragonet and called, "Citatus, I have finally found you! All the other dragonets and their Captains are looking too...well except for that useless Chlotharius. I would ask why you left, but I know you cannot answer. Might there be room in that cave for me? It seems we shall have to wait out this weather," he informed him.

Citatus did not respond at first, and it took several long seconds for the exhausted Winchester to raise his head and look. Citatus blinked his inner eyelids in sheer disbelief. After everything Chlotharius had told him, the last thing he expected was that anyone would search for him. After all, he wasn't even a proper dragon. A proper dragon would be able to speak. That was only the least of the things that Chlotharius had said to him. Yet, despite all that, the Grey Widowmaker had come looking for him anyway and had said others were looking too. Citatus was more relieved than anything that the Grey Widowmaker had found him. Citatus thought that Saevio looked completely miserable, especially since he was shining wet and covered in mud, twigs, and other debris. The dragonet quickly rose to his feet and awkwardly shuffled to the side to make room. Citatus then curled up on the ground again and huffed softly, which was the only noise he was capable of making.

Saevio took the invitation for what it was and scrambled inside. If Saevio had been older, he definitely wouldn't have fit. Saevio was shocked to discover that his legs were shaking. He was cold, wet, and completely out of energy. He flopped down on the ground next to the larger dragonet and curled up into a ball. Saevio then gave Citatus a grateful nudge, "Thank you, I appreciate the shelter. It has been a very very very long day and I do not think I could fly right now, even if the weather was sunny. Pray, let us both get some sleep and we shall try to find the covert in the morning," he announced. Saevio found he could not keep awake any longer and his head drooped onto his front feet. He soon drifted off into a restless sleep. Citatus followed suit not long after, especially since he'd also had an exhausting day. The pair of dragonets slept out the storm, and continued to sleep right into the morning.

Both dragons were woken up by a roar that shook the cave. Citatus scrambled back and pressed against the cave wall, while Saevio leapt to his feet and hissed at the impending threat. A large yellow head with white stripes blocked the entrance of the cave for a moment. Then the head lifted away and the dragonets were able to see it was the head of a Yellow Reaper. Saevio stopped his hissing and sat back on his haunches in surprise. The Yellow Reaper was a full-grown adult and had a harness, Captain, and a full crew. The Grey Widowmaker could only conclude that the Yellow Reaper was from Loch Laggan or some other covert. Nearly at a loss for words, he managed to reply with, "Who are you?" before he fell completely silent.

Occasus chuckled at the pair of surprised dragonets, "My name is Occasus and I am one of the dragons that had been sent to look for you fellows. I must say, looking for you two was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The training master will be greatly relieved to know you are both safe. Virtus forbid any of the dragonets and their Captains to look for you two when he returned from the meeting and found out. The dragons of two full formations were sent out to look once they returned from patrols. Saevio, your Captain is up and about and is greatly worried about you. And Citatus, your Captain is eager to see you as well. The dragonet called Chlotharius is neck-deep in trouble. His Captain found out the things he had said to you Citatus, and he was horrified enough that he told the training master. So do not worry little one, for that big Chequered Nettle will not be bothering you again. Now, you both look quite done in. I can give you both a lift back to the covert. My crew will have to make a little room, but that is no big deal," he informed them cheerfully.

Citatus stepped a few paces away from the cave wall and looked up at Occasus with a stunned expression. He had never imagined that the Chequered Nettle would ever be disciplined. Chlotharius was the favored heavy weight after all. To find out that he was vindicated was almost too much for the dragonet. He bowed his head gratefully and then gave a huff of assent to the Yellow Reaper. Citatus then flexed his wings and found they were rather stiff and sore. He definitely couldn't make the flight back to the covert on his own. Still, the Winchester was confident that he could fly enough to get onto the back of Occasus. He tilted his head and waited patiently for further instruction.

Captain Hector Cohen stood up and immediately began to issue orders, "Okay men, I want you all to unclip your carabiners and move down to the sides and clip on there. We need to make room for a half ton Winchester, and a canine-sized Grey Widowmaker," He ordered before turning his attention to the dragonets below, "Citatus, I want you to be the first dragonet to climb to the ledge above that cave. You're the bigger dragonet, so it's best that we get you settled first. Now, once you are on the ledge I want you to leap off and hold your wings out steady. Try to glide your way onto Occasus and land just behind the shoulders. Try to keep your claws up and avoid scratching him if you can. Once you're on, you are to lay down and my men will toss a few harness straps over you and secure you to Occasus so that you don't fall off," he instructed before looking down at Saevio, "Saevio, you are to wait until Citatus is on securely. Then I want you to attempt to do the same thing he did, only I would like you to land on Occasus' back between his wings."

Saevio bobbed his head in understanding, and his dark eyes gleamed with excitement. After the ordeal of the day before, he was finally going to get to see his Captain again. He was also glad that Citatus was going back to the covert, and that Chlotharius had been found out to be the bully he was. Yesterday had been horrible, but this day seemed to be turning out much better. Saevio could never imagine living out in the wild and having to deal with that kind of weather often. It made him almost feel sorry for Mimosa, who'd obviously had nothing to do with Citatus's disappearance. It was a good thing he had followed his feelings and kept his mouth shut about her. Saevio was eager to get back to the covert, but he knew well enough to keep his impatience to himself. They would all be heading back to the covert soon enough anyway.

Citatus did as he was told and climbed his way up to the ledge above the cave. It wasn't all that far and the ledge was solid enough to hold his weight. Citatus tensed up as he gathered himself, and then he made a forward leap. His wings snapped open to cup the air, and then the steady wind surged over his wings. He glided gently towards Occasus and touched down slightly further back than he'd intended. He carefully kept the tips of his claws pointed upwards and walked forward a few feet until he was at the shoulders. The yellow scales were a bit slippery, but the harness allowed him to keep his footing. The crewmen had already moved out of his way, but seconds later a few approached and Citatus immediately lowered himself until he was on his belly. He watched in interest as a couple Midwingman tossed thick leather straps over his back, and then another Midwingman clipped them into the harness on the other side. He tested the thick leather straps and found them to be sturdy enough to hold him in place.

Occasus craned his head around to watch the proceedings and then rumbled with satisfaction, "Well done Citatus, well done indeed. I shall have you both back at the covert before noon if Saevio is able to get on as smoothly. It's a good thing that we get trained in rescues, as well as the standard military training. Pray, hurry if you can Saevio, as I think we are all eager to be back. I was just about to give up the search and head back to the covert when I spotted you both quite by accident," he informed the dragonets.

Saevio didn't waste any time and climbed up several large boulders to get to the ledge above the cave. His claws curved over the edge, and it took a moment for him to prepare for the leap. Saevio jumped and flared his wings open to their full extent. His leap was shorter than he'd hoped, but his wings held steady in the wind. He glided forward and then tilted back to land nearly on top of Citatus's tail. Saevio then backed up a bit and followed Citatus's example by sprawling on his belly. Occasus's crew secured him to the back of the Yellow Reaper with a few strong straps. He folded his wings comfortably against his sides and tried to keep his tail from lashing about in excitement.

Captain Cohen nodded in satisfaction, "Good job everyone. Occasus, pray make sure that all lies well. If it does, then we shall head home with all haste. There are many people and a few dragons and dragonets who are eager to see these fellows," he relayed and a smile graces his lips.

Occasus turned his head forward and then reared up onto his hind legs. He could feel the weight of the dragonets on his back, but they were strapped in securely enough. Occasus glanced back at his Captain, "All lies well. In that case, let us be off. I am as anxious to get back as everyone else," he remarked before unfurling his white striated wings. The Yellow Reaper crouched down and then sprang into the air using his powerful hind legs. His wings beat a slow but steady rhythm as he rose into the air. Yellow Reapers were not the fastest when it came to flying, but they were extremely steady in the air. The weight of two dragonets on his back didn't cause any discomfort. Occasus lifted his head and was able to see the edge of the trees far in the distance. It was ironic that the dragonets had been in the forest, while most of the two formations of dragons had been searching farther out.

Citatus stretched out his neck and tried to see the edge of the forest in the distance. His feelings had now become rather mixed. Saevio wanted to go back to the covert, but he worried that his Captain would be angry with him for listening to Chlotharius and leaving. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been, but Chlotharius had upset him so much that he hadn't been thinking straight. Citatus glanced back at Saevio and wished he could speak to him. He wanted to explain everything and thank him for going to all the trouble of finding him. After a little while he lowered his head and spent the rest of the flight in silence.

Saevio was silent during the flight back to the covert as well. He had his own worries, such as how much trouble Obson was going to be in for leaving him unsupervised previously. He also wanted to find out exactly what Chlotharius had said or done that had driven Citatus to leaving the covert. Saevio had a feeling that it must have been very bad to elicit such an extreme response. Things seemed to happen so fast at the covert. He was only on his third day out of his shell, and yet he already felt much older. His thoughts were soon silenced as he noticed the covert coming into view. It looked like Occasus planned to land at the training courtyard. The signal-ensign to Saevio's left suddenly began to wave a pair of signal flags wildly, both to announce their return and the successful rescue of the dragonets. Saevio peered below and was surprised to see the training master and most of the dragonets and their Captains assembled.

Captain Cohen slapped Occasus's neck fondly, "We did very well for finding them. That's a good eye you had to spot them when you did," he praised the Yellow Reaper before looking to the crew, "All right, I would like you fellows to begin unstrapping the dragonets. We shall be landing shortly and they will most certainly want to see their Captains," he ordered sternly. Cohen then directed one last order to Occasus, "Let us land now. I believe we have attracted much attention."

Occasus looked down at the crowd in the training courtyard and rumbled, "Indeed my Captain; if we do not have the dragonets ready to get down by the time I land, we may very well be swarmed," he mused, though he was hardly alarmed by the prospect. He then descended slowly towards the courtyard and touched down with the ease of many years of practice. Occasus crouched down in order to make it easier for both the dragonets and the crew to get down.

Virtus approached Occasus and rumbled a welcome, "I am glad that you found them Occasus. Many of the other searchers have returned and reported that they found nothing. I was beginning to lose hope, until you came flying in with the signal flags flashing. Thank you as well Captain Cohen, for you also played an important part in the rescue as I understand it," he praised the Captain before turning his gaze fully upon the dragonets, "It seems that I owe the both of you a great apology. What happened to you was partly because of a neglect in my duties. I set the record straight with the Admirals and informed them that I can no longer attend their meetings, at least not while I still have charges under my supervision. Had I been here more often, I would have seen what Chlotharius was up to and disciplined him. As things stand, the Chequered Nettle and his Captain have been sent to one of our most remote coverts. In the past Chlotharius might have been stripped of his Captain and sent to the breeding grounds, but we cannot afford to lose a heavy weight at this point. Besides, that Chequered Nettle would have made a poor choice for breeding, especially if his dragonets bore his foul disposition. On a better note, I believe you both have someone that would very much like to see you now. Pray, get down and be reunited with your Captains. After that, I would like to have Surgeon Darley have a look at the both of you to make sure that there is no permanent damage from your ordeal," he announced in a commanding tone.

Citatus waited impatiently while the crew worked to free him of the straps. He strained his neck forward and saw that his Captain was waiting for him below. He'd thought he'd never see his Captain again, and now things had changed so much. Citatus was briefly distracted when the training master spoke and turned his head to look at the Parnassian. The dragonet then gave a surprised huff upon hearing that Chlotharius and his Captain had been sent away. It was almost too good to be true. Perhaps now he would fit in among the others, and it would be nice not having to worry about Chlotharius bothering him anymore. Citatus wriggled anxiously and realized that the last strap had finally been removed. He rose quickly onto his feet and jumped off rather hastily. He then snapped open his sore wings and glided a short distance to land next to his Captain. Citatus nearly bowled his Captain over with his enthusiastic greeting.

Saevio was very eager to get to the ground and strained against the last strap that held him down. A Midwingman rushed forward and untied the strap, and thus Saevio was free to go. It didn't take long for Saevio to pick out his Captain among the assembled crowd. Obson looked rather haggard with his bloodshot eyes and unkempt hair. The man's expression was completely unreadable. Still, Saevio had never been as happy to see him as he was now. The Grey Widowmaker jumped from the Yellow Reaper's side and churned his wings. He didn't so much as glide as flutter his way over to land next to his Captain. He nuzzled Obson with enthusiasm and then backed off once he realized that he'd gotten his Captain covered in dried mud. Saevio tilted his head and flared his wings excitedly, "Obson, Obson, you won't believe what's happened!" he announced, unaware that Obson had already gotten the full story from the training master. He opened his mouth to relay his story, and was surprised when his own stomach interrupted him with a demanding growl. He had been too exhausted to notice he was hungry before. It had just been one more pain among many. Now his hunger was making itself known, and he gave Obson a plaintive look, "I am glad to see you again my Captain. There were times I doubted I would. I have much to tell you, but first, would you get me some food now?" he asked in a plaintive tone.

A Cadet stepped forward upon hearing the mention of food. The young man had two buckets laden with meat on either side of him. He hauled one of the buckets towards Saevio and explained, "The training master anticipated that you would both be starved after such an ordeal. Pray, help yourselves," he informed the respective dragonets before leaving the buckets behind and backing away.

Obson breathed a sigh of relief when Saevio seemed genuinely happy to see him. He didn't even mind that Saevio had gotten dried mud all over him. Obson had been worried that the dragonet would be angry with him, and he thought Saevio might think he had abandoned him. It took a moment before Obson placed a hand on Saevio's shoulder, "Saevio, I have much to apologize for. I have done you a great wrong and nothing I say can make up for everything you had to go through because of my negligence. I shall strive to become a better Captain in the future. That is all that I can really do," he relayed to the dragonet in an earnest tone. He was a bit taken aback at the dragonet's sudden hunger but recovered quickly, "Of course you may eat; in fact you should stuff yourself silly. You have gone without food longer than any young dragonet should."

The greetings were cut short as the pair of hungry dragonets descended upon the buckets of meat excitedly. It almost seemed to be a race of who could eat the most the fastest. Saevio allowed his hunger to get the better of him and practically inhaled all the meat in the first bucket. Citatus finished his first one only seconds after Saevio. The dragonets eagerly finished off their second buckets respectively, and then proceeded onto a third with barely a pause in between. The two were messy eaters and looked extremely frightful after their meal. Not only were they covered in dried mud, twigs, and other debris, but now they were speckled with blood too. At last Saevio backed away from the buckets and returned to his Captain's side. His small belly was bulging from the meal and he felt much better. Saevio looked up at his Captain and gave a soft rumble, "There is no need Obson. It was never your fault. I was the one who decided to jump from the edge of the drop off, and I agreed to help look for Citatus. I was not forced to do those things. It was my choice all along and has no reflection upon you," he informed him. Saevio suddenly felt sleepy after such a good meal, but he fought against it. There were still things he wanted to find out. He settled back onto his haunches and asked, "I am curious about one thing though. Whatever did Chlotharius say to Citatus that was so horrible?" he inquired. Saevio expected Obson to answer him, but it wasn't Obson who replied.

Captain Morley stepped forward and looked directly at Saevio, "Thank you for finding Citatus and putting your own life at risk for his. I was greatly worried about him. I know exactly what Chlotharius said, because his Captain repeated it to me word for word. Now I shall do the same for you, since you are owed an explanation as well. Listen carefully because I shall only repeat this once," he announced and paused briefly for effect. In a hushed voice he relayed the words of the Chequered Nettle, "Ah, so you are still skulking about I see. I do not understand why your Captain even keeps you around. The training master wishes to use you as a forward scout in my formation, but I think you will be useless for that. I mean, if you Captain gets injured, how are you ever going to relay what you saw if you can't speak? It is not as though you will have a crew like me. I feel rather sorry for your Captain. He will never get any chance for a promotion because of you. Bad enough that he harnessed a Winchester, but even worse that he ended up with a mute. He can never have a conversation with you, and will forever spend his time just trying to understand what you are trying to relay to him. You will become nothing more to him than a pet, and even worse, a burden. Your Captain will never be happy as long as he is with you. He will never take any prizes, and he will be poor and destitute. You have condemned your Captain to a horrible fate. I mean, you are not even a proper dragon. If you were a proper dragon, you would do the right thing and put your Captain's happiness first."

There was a hushed murmur from those who overheard, and then Virtus rumbled angrily, "Yes, it became quite clear after that why Citatus fled. He believed the cruel words Chlotharius spoke because he had little confidence in himself and he wanted to do right by his Captain. I gave Chlotharius quite the lecture once I found out, and then promptly sent them away. I could not stand to have him in my sight any longer. That Chequered Nettle was despicable, and I do not know how he turned out so badly. Citatus, I am sure you Captain has told you now that the words Chlotharius spoke were untrue. You have seen how far others were willing to go to search for you, and I hope you understand how important you are. Now we have a bit of a problem, because we no longer have a heavy weight in this upcoming formation. The French always have at least a few heavy weights in their formations, and we cannot afford to have any less. It would be different if there was a Longwing in this formation, or even a firebreather, but there is not. None of you have any special capabilities that I have seen. As a result, I have put out a request to the various coverts to see if they have a heavy weight dragonet they would be willing to transfer here. I expect to receive an answer within the next week or so. Saevio and Citatus, I suspect you both will want to sleep now that you have eaten. While you both sleep I will have the Surgeon examine you both, as I mentioned before. Your Captains are to stay by your sides while you sleep. As for the rest of you, it's back to training. I want 10 circuits out over the training valley now," he commanded, and watched as the dragonets and their Captains assembled to take off.

Citatus flinched a little upon hearing the words repeated, but it didn't hurt as much as when Chlotharius had said it. The training master was right after all, especially since all the dragonets and their Captains had mustered to look for him, and then two full formations had done the same later on. The Winchester was nearly overwhelmed by the support. He worried a little at the mention of a request for a new heavy weight, but he didn't have much say in the matter. He just had to hope that the new one would not be as bad as Chlotharius. At least he was back at the covert, safe, fed, and in the company of his Captain. It was more than he could ever ask for. Citatus felt sleepy all of a sudden, especially after having had a full meal. He opened his mouth to yawn and then curled up around his Captain. His inner eyelids slid shut and he promptly fell asleep.

Saevio's drowsiness fled briefly at the onslaught of his anger. He couldn't believe how cruel Chlotharius had been. If Chlotharius had been present, Saevio would have picked a fight with him. Size didn't matter much to Saevio's way of thinking. His claws scraped the ground slowly, but there was nothing he could really do. Chlotharius had already been disciplined and Saevio didn't know where he was. Saevio took a deep breath and let his anger go, but its absence made him feel even more exhausted than before. He managed to stumble his way over to Obson and flopped down in front of him. He was asleep seconds before he hit the ground. Although they had slept through the night, the events of the previous day had been taxing and more sleep was needed.

Surgeon Darley moved in swiftly on the sleeping dragonets. It was a lot easier for him to handle them while they were asleep. He started with Saevio and examined him from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. The examination was through and professional. The Surgeon then looked over to Obson and announced, "Your Saevio has taken quite a beating. He has some deep bruises and several cuts, but they are far from serious. I recommend that he is fed regularly and allowed to sleep whenever he can. Rest will be the best cure for him and the cuts are small enough to heal on their own in time," he informed him and then moved on to examine Citatus. He gave Captain Morley a similar diagnosis for his dragonet, and indeed both dragonets appeared to be in similar condition. Both Captains were relieved to hear this and kept a close vigil on their sleeping dragonets once the Surgeon left the area.

The pair of dragonets slept well into the afternoon, but Saevio's rest wasn't to last. He was woken up by Obson's insistent voice demanding him to open his eyes. Saevio rumbled in annoyance and curled in on himself, but then Obson shook him insistently. At last he gave up all semblance of trying to sleep and opened his navy blue eyes. He raised his head sharply once he noticed the seriousness of Obson's expression. Saevio tilted his head to the side, "Ugh, why must you wake me now? I am still very tired," he protested as he slowly rose to his feet.

Obson sighed and gave Saevio an apologetic look, "I am sorry Saevio, but we are under orders to go to the main courtyard. One of the searchers that was sent out to look for you was very late. His name is Territo and he is a Parnassian. All of a sudden he returned with a feral gripped in his claws. He landed in the main courtyard and now the feral is being kept under guard by Territo and several middle weights. An Admiral was called out to deal with the situation. Normally he would have ordered two of the dragons to escort the feral to the breeding grounds, but then the feral started calling your name and kept demanding to speak to you. I don't know how it's possible the feral would know your name, unless she overheard one of the searchers calling for you. That wouldn't make much sense though, since the Parnassian searched farther out than any of the others. Did you by any chance meet this feral while searching for Citatus?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Saevio felt as if he'd been struck in the head with a hammer. He hunched his shoulders and stared down at his claws guiltily. He hadn't told anyone about Mimosa, but he knew of no other feral that could possibly know his name. He felt guilty for not telling his Captain, and because of the fact that Mimosa's capture was indirectly his fault. Sooner or later secrets always seemed to come out. He scratched at the ground nervously and then gave his Captain the short version of his tale, "No Obson, I did not meet the feral while looking for Citatus. I met her after my first flight, after I landed near the lake to rest. I caught the scent of a strange dragon and followed it into the forest. I practically ran into her and she captured me. She told me her name was Mimosa and that she was a feral. She wanted me to promise her that I wouldn't tell she was there. She then told me she had just come to see why there were so many formations leaving the covert. She wanted to stay out of the way of any major battles. I accused her of being a french spy, but she denied it. She then informed me that she is a cross between a Sharpspitter and a Winchester, and that she had left the breeding grounds a while back. I told her I couldn't make any promises, but she let me go anyway. I was torn at first, but then I felt sorry for her and I decided to keep the secret," he explained, hoping desperately that his Captain would not be angry with him.

Obson stared hard at Saevio and crossed his arms over his chest, "You were wrong not to tell anyone Saevio. Even if you didn't want to tell me, you should have told the training master. If she had been a french spy, we would have been in real trouble. We must go to the main courtyard at once and I will tell them what you told me. We are both lucky that you are so young. You did not know any better and the training master will probably see fit to be lenient with you. Let us go now and set the record straight. I do not think you are fit to fly yet, so we shall have to walk there," he announced. He took off at a brisk walk without looking back, especially since he fully expected Saevio to follow him.

Saevio trailed behind Obson with his head low and his wings folded tightly against his sides. He did not dare complain about his aching muscles either. He simply endured the pain stoically and kept Obson's heels within his line of vision. It was a fairly long walk back to the main courtyard and Saevio's feet ached by the time they got there. However, the pain was soon forgotten as they emerged into the main courtyard. The place was packed with plenty of dragons and men. Word had spread fast and many of them had come to take a look at the captured feral. Saevio spotted Mimosa hunched miserably near the north wall, and she was guarded by a Parnassian on one side and an Anglewing on the other. He also spotted a man near Mimosa that carried himself with an air of authority, and Saevio guessed that he must be the Admiral that Obson had mentioned. It was not Admiral Litcott, which was the only Admiral Saevio was familiar with.

Mimosa tried her best to ignore the human that was ceaselessly pestering her with questions. She wanted nothing to do with the human and turned her head away from him. She didn't care if he was an Admiral, or whatever it was that the other humans called him. She was doing her best to control the urge to burst into flight. She could outfly the Parnassian, but the Anglewing would be on her before she got very far. Mimosa was trapped and she knew it, and that just made her all the angrier. Most of all she was angry that the dragonet had given away her secret. She had done as he'd asked and had left the vicinity of the covert, so she didn't understand why he had betrayed her. Suddenly she caught sight of the Grey Widowmaker on the other side of the courtyard. She hissed and pinned him with an accusatory glare and shouted, "BETRAYER!"

Admiral Merton followed Mimosa's line of vision and saw both Obson and Saevio enter the courtyard. He quickly motioned them forward and then turned his gaze upon Mimosa, "Be silent you stubborn feral. You have not given me a straight answer to any one of my questions. Your fate is in my hands now, and I will not have you causing chaos in my covert. I have called for Saevio as you have demanded, but only because I wish to sort out this situation. I cannot do that with you shouting clear across the courtyard. Just have patience, and I will sort this all out soon," he informed her in a confident tone.

Obson was surprised by the feral's accusation, but he knew what it was about since Saevio had told him everything. The feral probably thought it was Saevio's fault that she had been captured. It was just an ironic fluke that she had been captured by one of the dragons that had been sent to look for Citatus and Saevio. He quickened his pace and made it clear to Saevio that he should to the same. It took several seconds before he stopped a few feet away from the Admiral and bowed hastily, "Captain Obson and Grey Widowmaker Saevio at your service Sir. I know now why the feral knows Saevio's name. To make a long story short Sir, Saevio met her shortly after his first flight when he landed to rest by the lake. He followed her scent into the forest and she captured him. She was apparently curious as to why so many formations were leaving the covert. She didn't want to let him go until he promised that he wouldn't tell of her presence. He didn't give her a clear promise, but she let him go anyway and he kept her secret. It was wrong of him to do so and I told him that, but he is young and I don't think he knew any better. It's not as if he was ever trained to deal with a feral, and I'd never talked to him about them," he explained in a chagrined tone.

Saevio half-flared his wings and allowed them to droop by his sides. He felt absolutely wretched now, and he hated to see the accusatory glare in Mimosa's eyes. He picked up the pace and raced forward until Obson stopped. Saevio then sat back with his head lowered and tentatively spoke to Mimosa, "I am sorry Mimosa, I did not mean for you to get caught. The dragon that caught you was not even looking for you. He was looking for me and another dragonet named Citatus. I know it is hard to believe, but I never meant for this to happen. I did not tell my Captain or anyone else at all. I realize now that I had a duty to do so though. So maybe you have a right to be mad at me after all, because I probably would have told eventually," he admitted in a shameful tone.

Mimosa probably wouldn't have believed the dragonet, except for the fact he still looked like a mess. At his explanation, the anger was replaced with a sort of tired acceptance, "I would not believe you, except that you do look rather frightful. I suppose I should not have expected a dragonet to be able to keep a secret for long after all. It is not as though you owe any loyalty to me. You are in harness, and that means your first loyalty is to humans. Perhaps you can convince these humans to let me go? This Admiral fellow is getting on my nerves," She admitted with a look of contempt towards the human that had tried to shush her. She was not afraid of him and she would not be swayed by his authority.

Admiral Merton cleared his throat and raised his voice so he would be heard, "If you think that a dragonet has any influence with me, then you are sadly mistaken. I would like to be able to let you go Mimosa, if only to get rid of the headache that comes with you. However, I cannot do so for several reasons. The first one is that you have seen far too much of this covert. Even if you have no intention of bringing the information to the french, they could get it out of you if you were ever captured by them. The second reason is that letting you go would be against military policy. I cannot make any exception, even for you. The third reason is that we need every dragon we can get. So I will give you three choices. The first is that you stay in the main courtyard under guard and keep an eye on any of the people that come and go here. If you see one in particular that you think you might be able to work with as your Captain, then let me know and I will have a harness prepared for you and you may then stay and serve with the Aerial Corps. The second choice is similar to the first, only I will pick and choose which men might make a suitable Captain for you and then present them to you. The third is that you will be escorted to the neared breeding grounds under heavy guard," he informed her before turning his gaze upon Obson and Saevio, "Captain Obson, you have done well in reporting this to me. It explains much and I am grateful for your aid. Saevio is at fault for not reporting this incident and he will need to be disciplined for it. However, I will leave that up to the judgement of the training master and I will recommend some leniency because of his age. You may both go now and report to the training master immediately. Just be sure that this never happens again," he ordered sternly.

Obson bowed hastily and replied, "Thank you Sir," before he looked down at Saevio, "Come Saevio, this matter is no longer of our concern. The choice the feral makes is hers alone, and it has nothing to do with you," he informed him. Obson lead Saevio all the way back to the training courtyard in silence. The pair both had a lot on their minds. As soon as they got back to the training courtyard, they found that the training master was already back and waiting for them. Obson quickly repeated the story he'd given the Admiral, and waited in silence for the training master's verdict.

Virtus rumbled sternly and glared at both of them, "Both of you have gotten yourselves into trouble now it seems. Obson, you are still due to be disciplined for leaving Saevio unsupervised. Saevio, you are due to be disciplined for withholding vital information. There are any number of punishments you both could be given. Yet, even I have made mistakes in the past few days. This war is putting stress on everyone and mistakes are not uncommon. I am going to be lenient to both of you, but only this once. I believe you have learned your lessons, and so I am going to let it go for now. Pray, see to it that there are no repeats. Now, besides your mistakes, you both have done remarkably well considering current events. These have certainly been an exciting few days. Your two weeks of leave are to begin this very moment. Obson I expect you to read those books I had sent to your quarters. One of those books contains pictures of signal flags, which I want you to drill Saevio in every day. He must get them memorized as well as you have. Make sure Saevio eats well and gets enough rest for the next few days. Then I expect you to make sure he does a circuit around the training valley once a day, just so that his wing muscles gain strength. You are both dismissed," He announced in a voice tinted with overtones of satisfaction. He still saw great potential in the pair, and he planned to put that potential to good use.


	7. Never a Boring Day

**Disclaimer:** The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is **copyright ** to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.

**Author's Note:** Please, read on and enjoy the chapter. I'm sorry for the long delay with chapter 8. I got a new puppy and she's been taking up a lot of my time. That, in combination with more writer's block didn't help. I'm going to try to get chapter 8 done in a week and a half if I can, but of course there's no guarantee. I keep falling behind on this and I'm going to have to change that.

**Chapter 7: Never a Boring Day**

Virtus watched with interest as Saevio dived down and easily dispatched a cow in the feeding pen. He then gave his attention to Obson and lowered his head so that one eye was level with the Captain, "Well I see that you have both made excellent progress in the last week and six days. I'd estimate that your Saevio is a ton and a half now, perhaps even a little more. Now, I expect you shall update me on the events of the past few days," he requested, though it was clearly an order on his part.

Obson had been leaning up against the fence watching Saevio, but he soon gave the training master his full attention, "Yes Sir! Well Saevio has been taking in both knowledge and food voraciously. He knows the signal flags by heart now, since I've drilled him on them every day thoroughly. He also knows the basic formations, even though he hasn't had the official training yet. I'm also happy to report that he's perfected his landings, and he's built up more endurance when flying," he reported dutifully. Obson then frowned and glanced back towards Saevio, "Sir, I hesitate to bring this up, but I must voice a few concerns I have about Saevio," Obson requested formally.

Virtus rumbled to forestall Obson from speaking further. A quick look was given in Saevio's direction, but the dragon was busy feeding. Virtus sighed and replied to Obson, "There is no need Captain Obson. Saevio is becoming more aggressive, and that is to be expected for his breed. I received a complaint yesterday from the Captain of a Yellow Reaper. He informed me that your Saevio stole away a cow that his Avara had killed for her meal. Apparently he took it right out from under her nose and refused to give it back when she asked politely. She did not challenge him over it and in the end he had an extra meal. You are going to have to tell him that sort of behavior is unacceptable. I am afraid that you are going to have your work cut out for you Captain. He is only going to get more aggressive and if you let him have his way, he'll eventually become uncontrollable. If that happens, well you know the consequences. Use that steadfastness of yours to your advantage. That is one of the reasons why the Admirals selected you," he informed Obson in a serious tone.

Obson looked back at Virtus and nodded stoically, "I shall Sir, you may have my word on that. I am sorry that he has caused trouble for another dragon. I was unaware that he'd done anything of the sort. If I had been approached about it directly, then perhaps I would have been able to do something about it sooner. As things stand, I plan to have words with him about it shortly," he promised earnestly. There was a brief pause before he ventured a question to the training master, "I have a quick question Sir, if you have the time. Saevio has been asking me often about that feral that was caught. Have you any news of her that I may relay to Saevio?"

Virtus was a bit surprised by the sudden change in subject, and he gave an amused rumble, "Very good Captain Obson, I believe the Admirals made a good choice with you. As for the feral, you may tell Saevio to have patience. He is certain to find out tomorrow when he begins his official training. I shall tell you no more than that. I believe tomorrow will make for a very interesting day for both of you. Now if you will excuse me, I must return to my charges. I left an off-duty Yellow Reaper to keep an eye on them, but he's not the most dependable sort. Good day to you Captain Obson, and I shall expect you to be at the training yard just past sunrise tomorrow," he announced. Virtus then rose up onto his hind legs and pushed off, his great wings churning the air rapidly. He climbed in height and then glided off in the direction of the training courtyard.

Obson watched the training master go and then turned to look at Saevio. The Grey Widowmaker was making short work of his second cow. Obson sighed and decided he'd better get the unpleasant business of lecturing Saevio over with. He hated to have to do it, but the training master was right. If it wasn't done, the Grey Widowmaker might take it in his head to do something far more serious. The last thing Obson wanted was for Saevio to be sent off to the breeding grounds. Grumbling to himself, Obson stepped up onto the second slat of the fence and waved one arm wildly to get Saevio's attention.

Saevio gulped down the last scraps of his second cow and looked around for more. Unfortunately, the other dragons present had already taken care of the rest. Saevio rumbled in annoyance and twisted his head around, hoping that one of the other dragons eating their meals would be slow enough in eating that he could snatch their kill from them. The only other dragons feeding at the time were both heavyweight Chequered Nettles. He wasn't afraid to challenge them for their food, but he decided against it. He felt like having more, but he knew he didn't need it. Saevio suddenly saw a flash of movement and realized that it was Obson waving him in. The Grey Widowmaker quickly loped his way over to stand by the fence, "Pray, do not worry Obson, for I am done now. The cows were very good, though I wish they would let me have more," he complained in an annoyed tone.

Obson did his best to look stern while standing on the fence, "That is actually what I wish to speak to you about. You have just missed the training master, who came to check up on our progress. I was told that you stole food from another dragon yesterday. That is very unbecoming of you, and I am deeply ashamed. You should have known better than to do that. It worries me, that you seem to be acting more and more like Chlotharius these days."

Saevio narrowed his eyes and made a strangled noise that was half rumble and half growl. The Grey Widowmaker then lowered his head and shook it in denial, "I am not like Chlotharius, I really am not! I was just very hungry and they wouldn't give me any more cows. The Yellow Reaper was only picking at hers and didn't look all that hungry. I did not think it would hurt if I helped her finish it. She only asked for it back out of spite," he announced, trying to defend his actions despite the fact he knew he was in the wrong. His wings drooped at Obson's stern look and he caved, "Oh very well, I shall not do it again," he promised in a serious tone.

Obson stared Saevio down as he tried to decide what to do. He could tell that Saevio had meant what he'd said, but at the same time he didn't seem to believe he'd done anything wrong. Obson decided he'd have to press the issue and replied, "Not all dragons eat at the same rate, and not all of them are bottomless pits like you either. They work hard for their meals, and they deserve to be able to eat without having to worry about their food being stolen. How would you like it if you came back from a long and harrowing battle, only to have your food snatched away from you? You would not like it very much I bet. Saevio, there can be no more of this behavior. If you keep it up, you will have no choice but to go to the breeding grounds, and I would be stationed aboard another dragon. I did not want to have to tell you that, but it is the truth."

Saevio found he could no longer look his Captain in the eye and so he turned his head away. His shoulders hunched dejectedly and when he spoke, his voice was softer, "You are right my Captain. I did not think of it at all like that. I should never have done it, I understand that now. I will go and apologize to the Yellow Reaper if that is what you wish."

Obson's expression softened immediately and he quickly shook his head, "Pray, do not do so. There is no need since the training master already apologized to Avara and her Captain on our behalf. I did not want to be so harsh with you, but you gave me little choice in the matter. You have never broken your word to me before, and so I shall accept your apology. Let us drop the subject and speak of more pleasant things. I asked the training master about the feral, and he told me to tell you to be patient. Apparently we shall both find out about her tomorrow when we begin official formation training. Anyway, are you feeling refreshed? I believe it is time we went on our first flight together. You are certainly large enough now, and the training master told me a few days ago that we could go on either of the last two days before official training."

Saevio raised his head, as if hardly believing at the change in his Captain's mood. It seemed to affect him as well, and he stood up straighter. His navy blue eyes gleamed with eagerness and he rumbled, "Ah, well I have waited this long to find out. I suppose I can wait yet another day. Yes, my Captain I am feeling well, so let us go for a flight together..." he trailed off suddenly as he realized something. Saevio tilted his head to the side slightly, "Wait, is the training valley not in use? I think we shall have to wait until the others are done with it," he remarked in a disappointed tone.

Obson waved off Saevio's concern, "Yes, the training valley is in use at the moment. However, you may fly above the hills and do a few laps over the forest beyond. We can't go to the channel because it is too dangerous, but the forest itself should be safe enough," he announced. There was the brief sound of scuffling as Obson climbed a few more slats of the fence. He balanced precariously at the top in a half crouch. Obson quickly called out, "Pray, move alongside the fence quickly so that I may climb the harness. I am not able to keep this up for long."

Saevio moved alongside the fence obediently, though he could hardly contain his excitement. He was going to get to show off his flying skills to his Captain, only this time Obson wouldn't have to watch from below. Thinking to make it easier for his Captain, Saevio hunkered down as far as he could go. Saevio then inquired, "Do we not need signal flags of some sort? It is not as though we will be going over the training valley. We might need those flags in order to signal our departure," he reminded his Captain sternly.

Obson was too busy trying to figure out where to climb up on the harness to respond at first. He studied Saevio's side with narrowed eyes, and then chose one of the wider straps to begin his climb. Reaching up carefully to hold onto a strap above with both hands, he then placed one foot after another onto the wide strap he had chosen. The climb did not take him long, not since he'd had plenty of prior practice. Obson chose to hook his carabineers at a likely spot just in front of Saevio's shoulder blades. There was a brief gap between the spines there, and it was as good a choice as any. The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement and he replied to Saevio, "Your training has stood you in good stead I see. You need not worry, as I have already made arrangements. I would like you to make a brief stop at the main courtyard before we head out over the forest. There we shall meet up with Captain Mackay and his Winchester Cadmus. I spoke with Captain Mackay at length yesterday, and he has agreed to lend us his spare set of signal flags. I could have requested them from the training master, but I did not want to impose upon him further."

"Ah, you have had this planned out I see. Well then, let us be on our way," Saevio informed him. That was all the warning he gave before he unfurled his wings and extended them. He leaped up into the air and took off with a practiced ease that he had lacked before. It took only a few deep wingbeats for him to rise to a higher altitude, and then he allowed the wind to do most of the work. He could tell by Obson's indignant sputtering that his Captain was upset, but he was too happy to be in the air to be bothered by it. He'd done it because he was tired of listening to his Captain go on and on. The man really did talk too much. Either Obson had gotten his message, or he was just too angry to talk. Either way, Saevio got to enjoy the short flight to the main courtyard in silence.

Obson stood up on Saevio's back as soon as the Grey Widowmaker had made his landing. He shaded one hand above his eyes and then glanced around, trying to pick out a small Winchester in the crowd of people and dragons. Thankfully Cadmus wasn't hard to see, not with his vivid purple markings. The Winchester looked to be sprawled out in the far right corner of the courtyard, with his Captain standing near his head. Obson then sat back down just in front of Saevio's shoulder blades and held onto the straps. He was still a little miffed at Saevio, though he understood the Grey Widowmaker's message. All he'd been trying to do was to make sure that Saevio had all the information he needed, but the Grey Widowmaker had become more impatient as of late. Obson was short as he spoke, "Pray, take us through to the far right corner."

Saevio ambled towards the Winchester, and hissed in annoyance as a Cadet got in his way. The loud noise and the press of bodies all around him served to irritate the Grey Widowmaker further. He had to restrain himself from snapping at the Cadet to get him moving. The low throaty growl that he gave was enough to send people scrambling out of his way. Thankfully there were no dragons directly in between him and the Winchester. His greeting to the Winchester and his Captain was less than polite, "My Captain and I are here now. Can you just give us those signal flags so that we may go?" he asked, without so much as a proper greeting.

Cadmus was quick to stand up and set the young Grey Widowmaker to rights, "I may know your Captain, but I do not know you. I shall not lend you my spare set of signal flags if this is how you insist on acting. You will address me as Cadmus and introduce yourself properly. If you truly desire to borrow those signal flags, then you shall ask for them politely. I would think that your Captain had taught you better manners than this," he lectured Saevio severely.

Captain Mackay ignored Saevio's behavior and addressed Obson only, "Good morning Captain Obson, I've been expecting you. Although, whatever happened to the well-mannered and tractable dragon you told me about? This beast of yours has a temper fit for a fire-breather!"

Captain Obson quirked his lips in amusement and climbed down Saevio's side to the ground. The only admonishment he gave Saevio this time was a warning look. He replied to Mackay's inquiry with good humor, "Good morning to you as well Captain Mackay. Yes, I am quickly finding that out. Well, he may have started out that way, but he's changed over the past two weeks. I shall manage though, for it is not as though it is entirely unexpected," he explained, with a meaningful look aimed at Saevio. He then looked over at Cadmus, "Good morning Cadmus, you are as sharp-tongued as ever I see. I believe Saevio could certainly learn a few things from you."

Saevio hastily backed away from Cadmus a few steps, mostly out of surprise. The only Winchester he knew was Citatus, and he was rather shy and lacked self-confidence. This Winchester was far bolder and didn't seem to fear him in the least. As Saevio looked over Cadmus from a distance, he noticed several scars around the shoulders and down his front legs. This Winchester wasn't young, and looked to be rather experienced. After a bit of considering, Saevio gave way to the authority of the older dragon. He bowed his head slightly and replied, "My apologies Cadmus, I did not address you properly. I am Saevio, and I have come to borrow your spare set of signal flags, if you would be so kind as to lend them to my Captain. Also, if I may ask, how do your Captain and my Captain know one another?" he inquired curiously.

Cadmus nodded politely to Captain Obson, but his attention was mainly on Saevio. He looked the youngster up and down once, then huffed in amusement, "There, now that is much better. Yes you may borrow the spare set of signal flags, though I expect them to be treated with care. No tearing them up with your claws if you get upset over something," he warned in a stern tone. He then directed his gaze to his Captain, "Mackay, pray bring Obson my spare set of signal flags if you will," he requested before turning his head to answer Saevio's question, "He has not told you of us I see. Well, that is not all that surprising, considering my Captain and I were stationed out at the Edinburgh covert for the past two months and we only returned to Loch Laggan week. As to how we know one another, well your Captain and mine grew up in the covert together. They've known one another since they were just squeakers."

Captain Mackay lugged over a leather satchel and set it down just in front of Obson. It had been partially concealed before by one of Cadmus's forelegs. There was a set of 24 signal flags total, though a couple of them were extras. The material the flags were made of was a little worn, but they were in good condition otherwise. Captain Mackay looked to Obson with a serious expression, "Cadmus is right of course. These flags were the first set we were ever given, and while of few of them had to be updated, most of them are still the originals. I will part with them only for today, and I expect they shall be returned by this evening. Is that understood?"

Obson crouched down to examine the signal flags with interest, though he quickly looked up upon hearing Mackay's stern warning. He stood up and nodded in understanding, "Of course, I shall endeavor to keep them safe from harm. Thank you for lending them to us. I assume you both have courier duty, so I shall not impose upon either of you any further. Be assured, the flags are going to be returned in a timely manner. Both of you take care." Obson carefully hefted the strap of the satchel up over his shoulder and turned to face Saevio, "I know you are anxious to be off, so let us go now. Pray crouch down, so that I may board," Obson instructed Saevio.

Saevio was restless and shuffled his feet as he waited for Obson to finish speaking with Mackay, his curiosity having waned after learning Mackay was yet another childhood friend, much like Alcedonia's Captain. He distracted himself by replying to Cadmus, "You have a very handsome set of flags. They are quite impressive. You need not worry about me tearing them up, as I have no desire to do so. I shall simply let my Captain handle them," he assured the Winchester and then crouched down as his Captain had requested. He waited only long enough for his Captain to climb up and clip a carabineer in place. Saevio made a powerful leap and beat his wings rapidly. Saevio flew so low that the edge of his tail brushed against the top of one stone wall.

Obson held onto one of the harness straps with one hand, while the other was wrapped around the strap of the satchel. He carefully lowered the satchel onto Saevio's back and then worked to secure the satchel to the harness. That way there would be no chance that the satchel of flags would fall. His forehead scrunched up in concentration as he lifted the flap on the satchel more so that he could see which flags he wanted to use. He selected two of them and brought them out, waiting patiently for Saevio to get clear of the covert walls. He spotted a Yellow Reaper and his Captain on guard duty, and waved the flags in their direction. He was signalling to them that he and Saevio were going out. Obson squinted as he saw the brightly colored signal flags flashing back at him. They had been given the all-clear to depart. Obson immediately put the signal flags away safely in the satchel.

Saevio was content to let his Captain worry about the flags. Their departure had already been cleared by the training master ahead of time, so he wasn't worried about whether or not he was allowed to go. He raced away from the covert as fast as his wings could carry him, and revelled in the feeling of the wind against his face. He stretched his neck out and angled in the direction of the forest, and this time he knew there was nothing to fear. The sky was cloudy but that was normal, and the turbulence he'd experienced last time was no longer an obstacle to him. Saevio's one-ton form was steady in the air and he was able to keep on a level flight path. After a few minutes of flying in silence, he ventured to ask his Captain, "So what do you think?"

"I think that you didn't give me any time to check the straps, and you didn't bother to check to make sure we were given clearance to leave. I also think you need to work on your take-offs a bit. Other than that, I believe you are getting the hang of flying. You shall be giving most dragons a lesson in speed before long. You are far faster than any of the dragons I have served aboard," Obson both criticized and complimented within the span of a few minutes. Obson was beginning to enjoy the flight, and was content to watch the hills seem to blur away beneath them.

Saevio rumbled a little bit at Obson's criticism, but he had to admit that his Captain was right. There were still a few things that he needed to work on. At the same time, he was also pleased at the compliment. He responded by beating his wings faster and working hard to reach the edge of the forest that he saw up ahead. As he flew, he thought back to their meeting with Mackay and Cadmus. Saevio then asked, "Obson, you seem to know a lot of people and dragons, and you're well-liked by most of those we've met. Why is that?"

Obson thought about it for a moment and answered, "It is not as though I am special. I think it is simply because I have spent my whole life at the covert. They watched me grow from a squeaker to a man, and many of them knew me when they were youngsters themselves. They have had plenty of time to judge what kind of person I am," he informed Saevio in a contemplative tone. It wasn't long after he finished speaking that they reached the edge of the forest. Obson then jokingly remarked, "Pray do not go down into the forest this time. I do not think the Admirals would be pleased to have to send out a search party again."

Saevio gave a series of rumbles that almost sounded like a chortle and responded, "I think I shall be fine this time. There is no storm to worry of, and no missing dragonet. It is nice to be able to take you flying, and to not have to worry about any sudden emergencies. I will try to work on those things you complained of. As for what kind of person you are, well you are my Captain, and that is all that matters," he told him, feeling a sense of camaraderie with his Captain. The pair flew in silence for a while, and it was a peaceful time for them. Any worries seemed to be carried away by the wind.

The peace lasted for about half an hour of flying over the forest, before Obson suddenly spotted something. He leaned out as far as the harness would allow and shielded one hand above his eyes. At first it was just a grey and scarlet smudge out over the forest, but as it came closer, Obson saw that is was a bloody dragon that was laboring hard to fly. He immediately pointed it out to Saevio, "Saevio, you must take us to that dragon, and quickly. I do not think it can stay in the air much longer. Why, those wings are all over with blood," he ordered, his voice rising a bit with alarm.

Saevio saw the dragon not long after Obson did, and he immediately banked hard to the right and headed towards it. The dragon was clearly a British one, and Saevio was able to identify it as a Greyling. Obson had shown him a book with all of the British dragon breeds in it, and that's how he knew what this one was. The Grey Widowmaker noticed that the dragon had a Captain and a sparse crew once he got closer. He also knew that there was no way he could help keep the dragon in the air. The Greyling was full-grown at an estimated five tons, and it would be impossible for him to carry it. Just as he was moving in to within a few meters, he saw the gleam of rifle muzzles. He reacted quickly by folding his wings against his sides and dropping. He had moved just barely in time as the sound of gunshots rang out. He didn't understand what was happening. Why was he being attacked? He didn't understand it, but if they didn't want him near, well he wasn't going to force it. He pulled out of his stoop and back to level flight, and he just flew forward as fast as his wings would allow. It wasn't hard for him to pull away from the range of their rifles. The Greyling's shredded wings were barely beating fast enough to keep it in the air.

Obson's face had gone red from a mixture of anger and an elevated heart rate. The acrid smell of gunpowder had sunk into his jacket, but at least he hadn't been hit thanks to Saevio's quick reaction time. He had directed Saevio towards the Greyling to investigate and after seeing it was a British dragon, he had been ready to offer any assistance he could. It was truly unexpected to have been fired at, but he soon realized why. Saevio had no crew save for him, and he'd put the signal flags back in the satchel a while back. Obson had originally intended to use the signal flags once they were closer in visual range, but obviously he should have used them sooner. He quickly came to the conclusion that they'd probably thought Saevio was a french dragon coming in for an attack, and that was why they had been fired upon. He patted the base of Saevio's neck and ordered, "Fly a bit higher and then bring us about. One we are within range, slow your speed and I shall wave the signal flag for parley. If they show signs of firing again, drop like you did before," he instructed. It was a risk to them, but he couldn't just leave them when they were obviously in serious trouble.

Saevio wasn't afraid, especially now that he was confident enough of his reflexes. Saevio had already guesses by then the reason for the attack. The men aboard the Greyling were well-trained and could have aimed for his head. They hadn't missed him at all, he'd realized. They had just fired the shots to scare him off. Saevio did as Obson asked and angled upwards, climbing to a slightly higher altitude. He then veered around in an aerial u-turn and headed back in the direction of the injured Greyling. As the injured dragon came back into view, Saevio was alarmed to see that it was flying lower than it had before. Blood was streaming from a dozen open wounds and the wing sails looked to be split in several places. The Greyling still had enough wingsail left to fly, but the loss of blood was weakening it. This time Saevio was coming towards the Greyling from behind and slightly above, rather than at the front. Saevio tensed up as he pulled alongside within rifle range and slowed his speed to match the nearly crawling pace of the Greyling.

Obson already had the flag for parley out and waved it wildly, hoping that Greyling's crew wouldn't fire upon them again. Thankfully they were in luck this time. Either that, or the Greyling's crew were almost out of ammo and were conserving the rest. Obson looked towards the spot on the dragon where the Signal-Ensign was normally stationed. To his relief, he saw a flag waving back at him, demanding that they identify themselves. He put the parley flag back in the satchel, and then dragged out two more flags. He was glad he'd decided to borrow them for training purposes, or else they both might have been in even more serious trouble. As it was, he waved the flags to identify himself and Saevio as trainees for the British Aerial Corps. He then lowered one flag at a downward angle, indicating that he wanted them to land. Signal flags could be useful, but he didn't think the Greyling could stay in the air in its current condition, and he wanted to speak to the Greyling's Captain. He thought at first that they would refuse, but then the Greyling dropped in altitude and angled for a clearing in the forest. Obson put the signal flags away and requested, "Saevio, please wait until they have landed safely, and then take us down in that clearing."

Saevio was greatly relieved to see the rifles no longer pointed at him, and was surprised how effective the signal flags were for communicating. He watched as the Greyling glided to a landing in the clearing, and then collapsed in an exhausted heap. He could see the crew go to work staunching the wounds with great white swaths of cloth. His only answer to his Captain was a loud rumble, and then he tilted the trailing edges of his wings and went into a shallow glide. It didn't take long before he touched down a little ways north in the clearing from where the Greyling had landed. He covered the rest of the distance walking with his tail dragging in the grass. He stopped a few meters away and crouched down so his Captain would have an easier time getting off. He looked over towards the Greyling and saw that its Captain was dismounting too.

Captain Obson met the Greyling's Captain half-way between both dragons. He immediately identified himself before anything else, "I am Captain Obson of Grey Widowmaker Saevio. Our official training is set to start tomorrow, and we were out on a flight for practice purposes when we encountered you. I should hope you would have a good explanation for firing at us. If it is what I suspect, then I will let it pass. Now, will you please tell me who you are and just what is going on?"

Captain Speir stood stiffly at a distance from Obson, with one hand clenched around the butt of a pistol for protection. He glanced at the man warily, but relaxed a bit once he saw clear signs that Obson was everything he said he was. His hair was messed up and his clothing reeked of gunpowder, and it was also covered in the near-black blood of his Greyling. He looked at Obson as if measuring his worth and then began his explanation, "I am Captain Speir of Greyling Paulus. We are from Longwing Lucilenta's formation. We were stationed on patrol over the channel when we were attacked by not one but two french formations. My Greyling was injured in the initial attack by a Roi-de-Vitesse. We were ordered by the formation leader to leave the fight and bring the news back to the covert with a request for reinforcements. When we saw you, we thought a french dragon had pursued us and circled around to come at us from the front. There is no time for apologies right now. The others in our formation are still fighting as we speak. Paulus is too injured now to fly, which is the only reason why I complied with your request to land. Now the task shall have to fall to you, trainee or not. Take your beast back to the covert and carry out our orders immediatly, and send help back for us as well," he ordered.

Captain Obson's eyes widened at the news, but he knew there was no time to waste. He bowed stiffly and then straightened up to look the Captain in the eye, "Yes Sir, my Saevio may be young, but he is almost as swift as a Greyling. We shall carry out your orders with all due haste," he promised. Obson turned without another word and made his way swiftly back to Saevio's side. There was no doubt in Obson's mind that Saevio had been listening in, so he did not have to worry about an explanation. He climbed up the harness to sit in front of Saevio's shoulder blades and clipped a carabineer into the harness. The Captain then leaned forward, "Away Saevio, we must go back to the covert immediately. This will certainly test your newfound endurance, but I believe you are up to the challenge. Lives are depending on us now, as unexpected as it is."

Saevio's eyes gleamed eagerly and he nodded to his Captain, "I shall not fail," he told him. His wings snapped open and he made a leap into the air. Within seconds they were aloft and headed in the direction of the covert. Saevio stretched out his entire body from his neck to his tail in order to cut down on wind resistance. At least the weather held, and it was still cloudy but not raining. The wind was steady, which helped with his speed. They were half an hour away from the covert, but he hadn't been going at his full speed before. There hadn't been a need to do so until now. He figured he could get to the covert in half that time at full speed, but there was no way to tell for sure but to try. There was no chatter between the Grey Widowmaker and his Captain, and thus there were no distractions. There were just miles of forest to cover, which appeared to roll by like a giant green carpet beneath him.

Despite his earlier words, Obson was a bit worried about Saevio. The Grey Widowmaker had done aerial laps over the course of two weeks, but never had he been asked to fly so far at top speed. Obson also worried about the formation still fighting over the channel. The longer they took, the more chance there was that lives would be lost. The french had the advantage both in numbers and heavy weights. Never had he imagined that he and Saevio would be shouldering such a huge responsibility so soon. At least he knew that Saevio was giving all that he had, and he was both exhilarated and a bit scared at being carried at such high speeds. Most of all, Obson felt completely helpless to do anything. He dared not even give Saevio a word of encouragement, because of the danger that he might distract him.

Saevio lost track of how long he had been flying. His muscles had begun to protest the steady fast pace, but he forced them to keep at it. He was a Grey Widowmaker, and he certainly wasn't going to fail on his first official mission, even if it had been assigned by the Captain of a Greyling. The sight of the green hills up ahead was a most welcome one and Saevio rumbled to alert his Captain. It wouldn't be long before they would reach the covert. He could only hope that he had been fast enough, because he felt the weight of responsibility as much as his Captain did. As the towers of the covert came into view in the distance, Saevio was allowed to slow down at last, if only so that they wouldn't overshoot the covert on their approach.

Obson was so relieved to see the covert that he didn't even have words for it. He just took the signal flags he would need out of the satchel. He waited until they were close enough to the covert, and then began to wave the flags to signal their return. The second flag he used conveyed emergency. The same Yellow Reaper from before was still on guard duty, and the Signal-Ensign aboard him flashed a flag back in acknowledgement, followed by another one that conveyed an order to land. Obson ordered Saevio to do so immediately, "We are to land by that Yellow Reaper now. Good flying my friend," he praised Saevio at last.

Saevio was breathing heavily as he glided in for a landing, and he was surprised to find that he was slightly shaky when he touched down. He wasn't sure whether it was from excitement or exhaustion. He was more than happy to crouch down, both making it easier for his Captain to get down and giving him an excuse to rest for a moment. For once he wished he could have just have gone on a nice flight without something happening. He seemed to have either the best or the worst luck when it came to that. Saevio was too tired to speak, and decided to leave it up to his Captain to relay the news. He just remained crouched and dragged in deep ragged breaths of air.

Captain Bothy saw the condition the young dragon was in, and realized that there really was something wrong. He immediately climbed down from Placida's back and waited for the Grey Widowmaker's Captain to do the same. Once Saevio's Captain was on the ground, he approached him at a swift walk. He was quick with his line of questioning, "You signalled an emergency. What is it?" he asked in all seriousness. This sort of thing was not something to take likely.

Captain Obson didn't waste time either, "Saevio and I met an injured Greyling out over the forest. We landed and spoke to the Greyling's Captain. The Greyling's name is Paulus and his Captain's name was Speir. He told us they were from Lucilenta's formation. Long story short, Lucilenta's formation was attacked by two french formations over the channel. I know not the details, only that they are in desperate need of reinforcements. Paulus was unable to make it here due to injuries to his wings. They Greyling, his Captain, and their crew can be found half an hour over the forest in a clearing. They shouldn't be hard to miss since most of the forest is dense."

Captain Bothy listened carefully and then took out a notepad from his jacket pocket and quickly scribbled down a couple missives. He then looked over towards the Yellow Reaper and called, "Mr. Borrel and Mr. Dynham, pray come here and take these missives off to the Admirals immediately," he ordered before looking to Obson, "Thank you for bringing us this news. My runners shall take these missives to the Admirals, and they will decide what course of action to take from there. I suggest you let your beast rest a bit, then take him off to the feeding grounds, as he is bound to be ravenous," he informed Obson. He had just finished speaking when the young officers approached, took the missives, and then took off into the covert at a run.

Saevio was quite relieved to be done with his mission. He had done what he could, and now it would be up to the Admirals to decide what was to be done about it. He quite liked Captain Bothy's suggestion that he get a meal. His stomach was beginning to growl, and he knew that Captain Bothy was right about him being ravenous. Saevio lowered his head and directed his gaze to Obson, "Pray, may we go to the feeding grounds now? I am sure that the Admirals will take care of the situation as they see fit. My wings are tired though, so I would prefer it if we could walk there," he requested in a hopeful tone. He was happy to hear it when his Captain agreed to go.

The walk to the feeding grounds took far longer for either of them than it should have. Saevio was so tired that he dragged his feet and Obson had too much on his mind to be in any sort of hurry. Obson turned his head to speak to Saevio, but the few words he said were drowned out by the sound of several wings beating at different speeds. Obson looked up to see a fairly large formation leaving the covert and flying out in the direction of the channel. The formation was being lead by a Regal Copper, followed by two Chequered Nettles, then four Anglewings, six Yellow Reapers, and two Grey Coppers. They were flying in a staggered vee pattern from what he could tell. Once they were clear he muttered to Saevio, "I must give credit where credit is due. The Admirals have worked fast and hopefully it shall make a difference. I am afraid we shall not find out the outcome for several hours, perhaps even longer."

Saevio rumbled in agreement with his Captain, "Yes, I expect it shall be so. I will admit I am anxious to find out, but I know there is little more we can do. That Captain Bothy is a smart fellow. He knew what to do right away. Perhaps his advice should apply to you as well. You should go inside and get yourself something to eat," he suggested, and then parted his muzzle in a great yawn. He then ambled up to the gate of the pen and waited impatiently for the herders to open it and send out a cow so that he could eat.

Obson followed after Saevio and silently indicated to the herders with a hand gesture to send out one cow for Saevio. The dragon had already eaten earlier, and just needed one cow to make up for the amount of energy he had expended. Obson then shook his head somberly, "I am afraid I shall not have the time. No doubt the Admirals will send out a Cadet to fetch me. I suspect they will want me to debrief them on every detail of the incident. That could take several hours at the very least. There shall be plenty of paperwork that needs to be done as well. Will you be fine on your own during that time?"

Saevio gave a derisive snort at the question, "Of course, I shall be entirely fine on my own. I intend to eat and then sleep, so there is no need for you to worry about my welfare," he assured him. He then stretched his head out and nuzzled his Captain briefly, "Take care my Captain, and be sure not to let the Admirals requisition all of you time," Saevio informed him, as if his Captain had a choice in the matter. Saevio then lunged his way forward as soon as the herders opened the gate for him. A single cow was let out into the pen, but that was all Saevio needed. He downed the cow with a swift swipe of his claws to the neck, and then carried it off to the far right corner of the pen to eat. Out of the corner of one eye he saw a sandy-haired Cadet run up to his Captain. The two appeared to speak briefly, and then Obson followed the Cadet up the hill and into the covert.

It turned out much like Obson had said it would. Obson was grilled for hours about every little detail of the incident that the Admirals could drag out of him. Saevio went to the main courtyard and fell asleep on the warm flagstones. Obson was later released from his meeting with the Admirals, and went to the Officers' club to have supper. After that Obson went out to the main courtyard and found Saevio still fast asleep. So the Captain just sat down near his dragon and read a book for a while. Tired from the long meeting and the excitement of the day, even Obson succumbed to sleep. Unfortunately, Obson only got a few hours of sleep in before both he and Saevio were wakened by two full wings returning to the covert at last. This time wasn't at all like the last one where injured dragons and men had needed to be tended by anyone with a steady hand. No, this time the Admirals were prepared and had several surgeons on standby and a plethora of people ready to assist. A cross Surgeon actually ordered Saevio and Obson out of the main courtyard so that there was more room for the arriving dragons.

Saevio happily let Obson climb aboard and flew off to land on one of the hills that surrounded the covert. It was a good sign that so many dragons were returning, even though some bore some pretty nasty looking injuries. It looked as if the second formation had gotten there in time to save the first. Saevio's sleep had done him some good, but there wasn't much for him to do since it was after dark and he got bored. He had almost fallen asleep again, when there was the sudden sound of beating wings. He opened his navy blue eyes wide and was able to make out the silhouette of a dragon down the middle of the hill. He wouldn't have known what kind of dragon it was, but the dragon had white striations that stood out in the dark. It had to be a Yellow Reaper, but it was far too small to be a full-grown dragon. That's when Saevio's memory clicked and he shouted, "Alcedonia, it's you!"

Alcedonia answered in a surly tone, "Of course it's me. Who did you think it was? I've been hearing all sorts of wild rumors about you. Thanks to you, I got kicked out of sleeping in the main courtyard by the surgeons, so they could tend to the injured dragons. I could have gone to the training courtyard, but it is much cooler there with the winds. I see you've grown quite a bit. You're still rather shrimpy though," She remarked before turning her head and looking back, "If you could please get off now, I'd appreciate it. I am not going anywhere else tonight, it's gotten too dark to fly. The covert does have some light, which is why the formations were able to make it down, but still, I'm no Fleur-de-Nuit."

Captain Rowlett was happy enough to oblige Alcedonia and climb down. As soon as he reached the ground he asked, "You aren't still carrying a grudge against Saevio for waking you up that one time are you? This is hardly Saevio's fault, as those dragons were injured in battle. I have to say, it is actually quite remarkable that he made it back to the covert as fast as he did. He certainly made it back much faster than that injured Greyling ever could have," he pointed out in the Grey Widowmaker's defense. He then turned and smiled at Saevio, "Hello young chap. I've heard a few stories about your adventures now. You're beginning to make quite a name for yourself," he commented and squinted up at Saevio's back. There was just enough light being cast from the covert for him to be able to see a man-shaped silhouette. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Are you coming down Obson, or shall I just yell at you from here?" he asked, obviously trying to prompt the Captain to come down and speak with him.

Obson would have recognized Captain Rowlett's loud voice anywhere. He immediately set himself to climbing down Saevio's harness, which proved to be a bit of a tricky task in the dark. He knew the width between the straps at least, and using that knowledge he was able to make his way safely to the ground. He walked up to Captain Rowlett since he was the only other man-shaped silhouette on the hill, and reached out to heartily shake his hand. He then stepped back and looked off towards the covert, "Rowlett, it's good to see you again, and you too Alcedonia," he added as an afterthought. Obson faced Rowlett again and asked, "Has word of what happened already spread that fast? I knew the covert was a rumor mill, but that kind of speed is unreal," he commented in a rather surprised tone.

Saevio snorted in disapproval at Alcedonia, "You are as rude as ever I see. Why did you have to come to this hill anyway? There are a dozen others just like it around here. I know your Captain and mine are friends, but that is no excuse. You never liked me from the beginning, and the feeling is mutual. Go find your own hill and sleep, since that is the only thing you are good at doing anyway," he told her sharply. He just wanted to go back to sleep, and that wasn't going to happen with Alcedonia and her Captain around. His reply to Captain Rowlett was a little more civil, "Thank you, I thought she was being quite unreasonable about that too. I am not exactly trying to make a name for myself, but this sort of thing seems to keep happening. I think I shall have to sleep, and hope that tomorrow will be a little more peaceful."

Alcedonia stuck her muzzle in the air and hmmphed, "If I am rude, then you are that much worse. I was going to share with you a bit of news, but now I think I shall just keep it to myself. Anyway, I wouldn't expect a peaceful day tomorrow if I were you. You are to begin your official training after all, so there will be very little rest to be had. It does not even matter what you did today. Virtus is a strict task master, and he will not go easy on you no matter what. I look forward to seeing what he has in store for you tomorrow," she informed him. She then paused and turned her head in the direction of her Captain, "You almost sound as if you admire him," she remarked in an accusatory tone.

"Both of you, quit it with that sniping of yours. It is unbecoming, and it is giving me a headache," Rowlett complained. He then turned his attention back to Obson, "Yellow Reapers are clannish by nature, as you well know. Alcedonia just so happened to stop and chat with Placida when she went to the main courtyard to rest after a long day of training. She was that Yellow Reaper that had been on guard duty. Still, I expect the news has made it all around the covert by now anyway. Word spreads fast when that sort of thing happens," he informed him. Rowlett suddenly felt a few drops of moisture hit his face and grumbled, "Ah, the weather has gone sour again. I don't know about you Obson, but I believe I shall make my way to my quarters. The main courtyard will likely not be open again until tomorrow at any rate, and there is no point in spending a night out in the rain when I don't have to," he announced and turned to Alcedonia, "I believe he did a good thing, that is all. Do not make it out to be any more than it is, you fickle jealous creature. Now, I shall be heading inside; I trust you can manage on your own for tonight?"

Obson moved to underneath the shelter of one of Saevio's wings, in order to escape getting wet from the light shower of rain. He had no doubt that the weather was due to get worse. Obson peered through the darkness back at Rowlett,"Well that certainly explains it. I shall do the same thing as you and head back to my quarters. Thank you for coming over to check up on us," he told his friend and then turned to Saevio, "You are a tough fellow. I am sure you can handle a bit of rain on your own can you not?"

Saevio was happy enough to leave off on the bickering and turn his attention back to his Captain. He barely felt the rain yet, and so he rumbled in agreement with his Captain, "Oh yes, I shall manage nicely. The water will run down the hill anyway, so it will not be so bad here. You humans are delicate creatures, and I would not want you to catch a cold for my sake. Pray, go inside and get warm."

Alcedonia wasn't nearly as forgiving as Saevio and gave a grumble of annoyance, "Oh yes, a little rain and you want to go in, that figures," she muttered and then lowered her head near her Captain. She then gave him a light push with her muzzle to start him down the hill, and rumbled in amusement as he stumbled. Alcedonia called after him, "Off you go then, I will be fine. Just remember to come wake me in time for training. I do not want another lecture like the one I had to endure a few days ago," she informed the man. She squinted and watched as both Captains headed off in the direction of the covert. It was a few seconds later that she realized just what sort of situation she had gotten herself into. She was alone on a hill, in the dark, and in the rain. The only company she had was the bratty Saevio.

Saevio gave a rumble of farewell to his Captain, and then raised both his wings as a shield against the rain. He then sprawled out on the wet grass and ducked his head underneath his right wing. Saevio didn't bother to look at Alcedonia or speak to her, as he knew they would just quarrel if he did. He just pretended that she wasn't there, and tried to get some sleep. He closed his eyes, but sleep was slow in coming. Saevio could hear the steady patter of rain, which was interrupted every now and again by Alcedonia's loud snoring. His mind didn't want to be quiet and he couldn't help but think about what tomorrow might bring. It was going to be a big day, and he would finally get to find out what had happened to Mimosa, among other things. Saevio was looking forward to seeing Citatus and Lentesco again too. Saevio didn't think he was going to get to sleep at all, but as time wore on he found it harder and harder to think. Eventually he slipped off into sleep, and ironically woke Alcedonia briefly with his own loud snoring.

In the morning Obson and Rowlett climbed up the hill; both were feeling much refreshed from the day before. They had both slept in their own quarters, and after getting up then had met up with several other fellow officers to have breakfast. The sight that met their eyes caused both Captains to stop in their tracks. Saevio and Alcedonia were curled up against one another and were still asleep. Obson had to clap his hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter, but Rowlett showed no such restraint. The man roared with laughter that bid fair to wake both dragons out of their sound sleep.

Saevio was the first to wake, and he was surprised to feel a heavy form next to him. He opened his eyes to get see a wall of yellow scales and white stripes. Saevio gave a sound very much like a dog's yelp, and scrambled away from Alcedonia as fast as he could. He stopped at the end of the hilltop and half-flared his wings in agitation. Saevio managed an expression of disgust, and stared over at Alcedonia with anger, "You! Just what were you doing?" he demanded, sounding absolutely horrified.

Alcedonia groaned and squinted blearily at the light of morning. It was with a great sigh that she heaved herself to her feet. Only then did she eye Saevio balefully, "Ugh, must you always wake me up? If you must know, the rain came down harder last night and the wind grew quite miserable, so I curled up against you for warmth. It's not like you were my first choice, but there were no Yellow Reapers around, and I wasn't about to go flying around in the dark to find them," she told him. At that moment she spotted her Captain and lumbered forward to greet him much more cheerfully, "Good morning Rowlett. I take it is time for us to head out to the training courtyard?"

Rowlett's laughter faded away and he looked to Alcedonia with a guilty expression, "I am sorry that you had a bad night of it. Perhaps I should have stayed out with you after all. But yes, it is time to go to the training courtyard. It is a bit early yet, but I expect that some of the others will already be there. Obson and I spoke on our way into the covert last night, and we agreed to come fetch you both early," he explained. Rowlett then walked around to Alcedonia's side and expertly climbed his way up the straps until he was on Alcedonia's back. He clipped himself into the harness and ordered, "Let us be off. I want to get there before the training master does, so that we may chat a bit with the others."

Saevio calmed down a bit at Alcedonia's explanation and turned his attention from her to his own Captain. Saevio greeted Obson with a fond rumble, "Good day to you my Captain. It seemed to take forever for this day to come. For two weeks I have prepared myself for the start of my training. I am just as anxious as Rowlett to go. Pray, hurry and get on Obson," he requested, and then crouched like he usually did so that Obson could board. He forced himself to hold still as Obson climbed aboard, and waited to hear the telltale click of a carabineer being locked into place. He looked back quickly to make sure his Captain was secure, and then he flared his wings widely. Saevio made a nimble jump off the top of the hill and flapped his wings to gain some altitude. A flash of yellow and white streaked past him, and he realized that Alcedonia was going to try to beat him to the training courtyard. Saevio put on a burst of speed and passed her, and then kept right on going. He actually slowed his speed on the approach to the training courtyard, and then glided in for a near-perfect landing.

Alcedonia landed shortly after Saevio, and waited only long enough for her Captain to dismount. She then headed off to the far left corner of the training yard and curled up, before promptly falling back asleep. She trusted that her Captain would wake her when the training master arrived.

Saevio looked around the training courtyard and was surprised to see that there was only one dragon and their Captain present. He looked at the dragon to see who it was, and he thought he saw...Mimosa? He blinked twice but there was no mistaking her green and brown serpentine form. Not only was he surprised to see her, but he also noticed that she was in harness. Saevio could hardly believe his eyes, and he could only conclude that she must have found someone suitable to be her Captain. He looked toward the person standing near Mimosa's head and rumbled in shock. The Captain was a female with short cropped auburn hair and piercing dark brown eyes. Forgetting that Obson was still aboard, he strided his way toward her and called out, "Mimosa, it's me Saevio. Why whatever are you doing here?" he asked, curious to find out just what had happened in his absence.

Obson had been about to unclip his carabineer from the harness and climb down, but that plan was cancelled when Saevio went striding forward. Obson held onto the straps and looked down to see what had caught Saevio's interest. He saw Mimosa immediately, but it was the woman by Mimosa's head that caught his attention. The woman was wearing a Captain's uniform, so it was easy for him to come to the understanding that she was Mimosa's Captain. His eyes glinted in sudden recognition and he burst into laughter. So this was the surprise that Saevio had been told to be patient about. It was a good thing Obson was still hooked into the harness, because he nearly doubled over from laughing so hard.

Mimosa had been talking to her Captain, but she stopped and looked up immediately upon hearing Saevio's voice. She saw the young Grey Widowmaker approaching her with his Captain on his back. Mimosa ignored Saevio's Captain at first, since he seemed awfully foolish. She was quite pleased to see Saevio though. Mimosa noticed how much he had grown, and he appeared to be in good health. She opened her mouth to greet him, but Obson's laughter started to get on her nerves. She pinned him with a savage glare and remarked, "I did not realize that they let monkeys become Captains these days. I would be more than happy to speak with you Saevio, if only you would get that maniac on your back to stuff it."

Saevio looked back at his Captain with confusion and finally protested, "Obson, I do not know what is so funny but please stop. You sound like Alcedonia's Captain last night," he remarked in a disapproving tone. He then lowered his head in an apologetic manner to Mimosa, "I am sorry, I do not know what has gotten into my Captain. Anyway, it is good to see you again Mimosa. How have you been faring?" he asked, tilting his head slightly as he awaited her answer.

Eileen looked from Mimosa, to Saevio, and then to Obson. She had little idea what was going on, but she recognized Saevio's name. Mimosa had told her about him before. Eileen stepped forward to deal with the situation, "Excuse me for interrupting, but I believe you are upsetting Mimosa. I will have none of that. She had to go through enough when trying to deal with my father. If you have a problem with me being Mimosa's Captain, then feel free to take it up with him," she scolded Obson firmly.

Obson stopped laughing abruptly and quickly unclipped himself from Saevio's harness. He climbed down Saevio's side, and then swept into a bow as soon as he reached the ground. Obson straightened up and looked at Eileen steadily, "My most sincere apologies Captain Merton, and to you as well Mimosa. I have no issue with female Captains, nor will I ever. I was laughing simply because of the poetic justice. After all, it was your father Admiral Merton that forced Mimosa to either stay and choose a Captain, or to go to the breeding grounds. The fact that she seems to have turned it around by choosing you as her Captain is rather ironic. I did not mean to give offense."

Captain Merton nodded in understanding, "Ah, well that explains it. The irony is not lost on me either Captain Obson. Mimosa assured me that she didn't choose me just for that reason. I was supposed to be in line to take over as Captain of my Mother's dragon, Longwing Lucilenta. Mimosa here has changed all that, but I cannot say that I am displeased. My father was outraged of course and threatened to have Mimosa executed, though it was really just all bluster. I've already grown quite fond of her, and although Mimosa is full-grown, we still both have to undergo the training. Mimosa is actually only a little over a year old, so she isn't that very old at all as far as dragons go," she informed him. She turned her gaze upon Saevio next, "I must thank you for keeping Mimosa's secret as long as you did. If you hadn't, we might never have met. You see, I was serving as a Midwingman on an Anglewing at Edinburgh covert. I didn't transfer here until almost two weeks ago. If she had been discovered sooner and had to make that choice, I wouldn't have been there."

Mimosa looked to her Captain fondly and then glanced back to Saevio, "As you can tell, I am doing quite well. My Captain is certainly much smarter than all the uncouth males running around here. Speaking of which, I've been hearing a fair bit about you recently. I heard you helped to find Citatus, and that you carried a message for an injured Greyling. That is all quite impressive for a dragon as young as you," she praised.

All further discussion came to a halt when the training master arrived. Virtus touched down in a flurry of wings, and then swung his head around to look at those present. He immediately made his way towards the small group and rumbled in greeting, "Good morning everyone. Ah Saevio and Obson, I see you have met with Captain Merton here and Mimosa. I was just as surprised as everyone else at the choice Mimosa made, but they are proving to be good trainees. I will give you the news now, before either of you set expectations for yourselves any further. We received word from Edinburgh covert that they are willing to send us a young Regal Copper and his Captain. Something unexpected happened, and they had two Regal Coppers hatch within two months of one another. Both were male, and as a result they do not get along very well. You know the danger that two male Regal Coppers may fight. So it is quite convenient for them to send one to us. Unfortunately, the Captain of the Regal Copper they want to send to us just so happens to have a problem with Grey Widowmakers. His father attempted to harness one a decade ago, and paid for it with his life. The only way the pair are willing to transfer here, is if we send you both away to another covert. I am sorry Obson and Saevio, but you know how badly heavy weights are needed. There is indeed a chance you might be sent away. The Admirals are set to deliberate on the matter tomorrow," he explained in a grim tone. It was a pity really, but Virtus was a dragon and he wasn't going to be allowed a say in the matter.


	8. Character Index

**Character Index**

(Under Construction)

Admiral Litcott: Admiral Litcott is another of the three Admirals that run the covert. He is the one that originally came up with the crazy idea of bringing a Grey Widowmaker into the Corps. He is responsible for convincing the other Admirals, and he takes a keen interest in the progress of Obson and Saevio as a result. He is a tall man at 6'1" and he has a full head of silvery-white hair, and an equally silvery-white mustache. His eyes are a dark navy blue. Admiral Litcott is the youngest of the three Admirals at the age of 56. He is lucky enough to still have a living dragon, an Anglewing by the name of Laelius.

Admiral Merton: Admiral Merton is one of three Admirals that took over running Loch Laggan covert. The covert had become one of the main training coverts over the years, and was in need of more management than any one Admiral had time for. Admiral Merton is 64 and was formly the Captain of Chequered Nettle Actaeon. His dragon died of a serious injury after a battle. Admiral Merton was 62 when Actaeon passed away. Merton is 5'7" and has a thin build, and he is partially balding, with his remaining hair having gone white from age. He has dark brown eyes. He currently has a daughter in the Corps; her name is Eileen.

Admiral Norden: Captain Norden helps to run Loch Laggan covert. He is a person who likes his privacy, and he is rarely seen outside of his office much. He handles a lot of the minor issues and complaints within the covert. He is the oldest of the Admirals, at the age of 74. Admiral Norden is a short stocky man at a height of 5'4" and he has frizzy white hair and green eyes.

Captain Bewley: Captain Bewley was Captain of Bright Copper Piperis. He was something of a role model and father-figure to Obson. Sadly he died in a battle over the English channel.

Captain Obson: Chad Obson is one of the main characters. He is 5'11" in height and has a semi-muscular build. His hair is a sandy brown and he has mahogany brown eyes. His parents were both Captains in the British Aerial Corps, and he grew up at Loch Laggan covert. He served aboard three different dragons before becoming the Captain of Grey Widowmaker Saevio. He is currently 25 years old.

Saevio: Saevio is of the Grey Widowmaker breed, and he is the first Grey Widowmaker harnessed into the British Aerial Corps in over 50 years. At this point in the story he is two weeks old, counting the three days in the previous chapters. He is currently 1.5 tons in size and is gradually becoming more aggressive as he gets older.

Training Master Virtus: Virtus is a Parnassian that is exactly 18 tons in weight, the largest a middle weight can grow. His Captain died in battle, and he would have retired to the breeding grounds except for the fact that there was need for a training master at a new covert in Ireland. Virtus had been with the Aerial Corps for over 40 years and had plenty of experience. He accepted the position and started his teaching career in Ireland, but years later he took over as the training master of Loch Laggan after the old training master retired.

Piperis: A Bright Copper and Captain Bewley's dragon, he was one of the three dragons Obson previously served aboard. He died along with his Captain in battle.


End file.
